Ways in Which Excessive Multitasking, Under-delegating, and Over Connecting can all Hurt Rather Than Help Your Productivity
Everyone’s looking for ways to max out daily productivity levels, but some of the habits you’ve adopted could be hurting instead of helping. Step back from the daily bustle to evaluate your work flow; if you fall into any of the categories below, you could be doing yourself a disservice.
Owning every task
So many people, especially those running their own small businesses, seem to run things on the adage “if you want it done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.” While taking responsibility for the big tasks and remaining solidly on top of things are definitely your concerns as the boss, being afraid to delegate out smaller, less complicated tasks will only weigh you down. Trust the team you’ve built and start passing some of the items on your plate to them; you might be pleasantly surprised with the outcome of their efforts, and will alleviate some stress as well.
Multitasking
Often touted as a personal strength (“just look at how many things I can do at once!”) multitasking can actually be detrimental to your productivity. When you spread your concentration out across multiple tasks at once, nothing gets you full attention, and the quality of your work will suffer for it. Stay with a task from start to finish, working to diminish interruptions, which is really all multitasking does.
All work and no play
Especially true when it comes to startups, working round the clock seems like the prudent choice to make sure that you’re getting everything done. But burnout can happen, and more quickly than you think. Utilize your time at work, and when you’re off the clock, put the mobile devices down and take a break. Set a time each day where the phone and computer will go off, and focus on recharging your batteries so that you can get back at it, fresh and rested, in the morning.
Smart phone usage
Thanks to our smart phones pinging away in our pockets, along with pop ups letting us know “we’ve got mail!”, it is more tempting than ever to check as each new message that comes in. This is interruptive to your concentration, and can quickly overload your mind with new issues or tasks instead of needed focus on the one at hand. Schedule just a few times per day to check your inbox and answer any pressing emails or to work on clearing your inbox, and avoid the temptation to constantly check in.
Impossible to-do lists
To-do lists are an entrepreneur’s best friends, but creating mile-long lists that are impossible to accomplish in a day’s time will leave you stressed out and feeling like you’ve achieved nothing. Keep making your lists, but only write down the really large, important points that you need to handle for that day, and keep your focus there.
