Ways to Improve Productivity By Prof. Gayatri Kaple

Productivity is the ratio of output/input. Every individual gets 24hrs a day to carry out all the activities and convert them into meaningful output. Still, some manage to achieve the maximum in the given time, but most of them struggle. Being productive means having a balanced life and being happy and healthy. Living life in harmony.

Prof. Gayatri Kaple, from the Department of Operations & Supply chain management ITM Business School, Kharghar explains it in a few ways listed below which will help to improve the productivity of an individual 

• Don't Try to Remember, Rather Document it (write it down) -It's not necessary to engage all the energy in remembering what work has to be done. Rather write it down so that it's there on a piece of paper or in your diary. Every night lists all the work to be done to save the next day's time. 
• Prioritize the To-do List - Prioritize the to-do list; not all tasks on the list are important. Focus on the major tasks that will give maximum output, increasing productivity. Say you have 10 tasks to be done in a day, find out the most important ones; they will be 3-4 of them; finish them first and then focus on the rest.

• Stop Multitasking - Focus is the key to productivity. Switching from one task to another can take away productivity and dilute the results. Focus on one task at a time. Minimize the distractions, limit your time on social media and try focusing on one particular task at a time.

• Organise your Workspace - The majority of your time is spent at your work table, so organise it. An organized working space increases productivity when the right things are kept in the right place; locating them becomes easy and handy.

• Track and Limit Time on Every Task - Monitor time taken for one task and limit it, say researching a certain topic, and remain focused on it; don't flow away with every article coming your way. If the time given for Facebook is 15 mins, stick to it, don't extend it to 30 mins.

• Embrace Technology - Make technology your friend. It will make your work faster and easier. Keep your calendars, to-do lists, and reminders handy. This increases the efficiency of work.

• Set SMART Goals - One step at a time. One goal at a time. The SMART acronym stands for Set-Measurable-Achievable-Relevant-Time-bound goals; say you have 10 chapters to write, focus on the 1st one, set it as your 1st goal, start working on it and make it time specific.

• Choose People Wisely- Surround yourself with people who motivate you, inspire you, teach you, share knowledge, and with whom you can have a meaningful conversation. With whom you can grow. 

• Learn by Yourself- Do things yourself, and do them consistently. Self-learning has a compound effect; it multiplies. 

• Develop a Habit of Saying No - Focus on your commitments first, rather than saying yes to all. Politely refuse them or give them a time when you can take up their work.

• Be Proactive, Not Reactive – Take charge of your work.

• Endless Meetings - Restrict the meeting time or propose other methods. Lengthy Meeting eats away all the productivity.

• Result-oriented Actions – The actions should be result oriented as per Pareto's 80/20 rule- which says 80% of results will come from just 20% of the actions.

• Take Care of Yourself- Self-care is nothing but giving the world the best of you. Invest in yourself through meditation, exercise, good eating habits, proper sleep, going on vacations, spending time with family and friends, and having social gatherings.

Productivity is efficiently utilising this time and energy on any given day so that the goals can be achieved easily, with proper balance and harmony within.