How to Streamline Workflow and Maximize Productivity
By Amy Jacques
November-December 2023
If you struggle with multitasking and often get distracted, then here are a few tips and tricks to help you simplify things, manage your time and work more efficiently.
One of the first steps to taking control of your time and maintaining focus is to batch your emails. Set two specific times a day for your email to be delivered to your inbox and look at it during those windows, suggests an article from Entrepreneur.
You can also set up filters for newsletters or less pressing communications, as well as a filter to unsubscribe to those that no longer serve you, allowing you to prioritize the most important emails.
“Context-switching between different types of tasks can be mentally taxing and inefficient,” says the article. Try to group similar projects and activities in the same time frame to save bandwidth.
Turn off your phone, social media, and Slack or Teams notifications while working or you’ll risk constant interruptions. Silencing these will increase productivity and help you maintain concentration and momentum.
Respond to your team’s needs early in the day and prioritize their questions — rather than being a blocker — so that you don’t hinder their work and you can both progress with your day.
Schedule as few meetings as possible and decline invitations if you feel like they are unnecessary or a poor use of your time. Figure out shorter, more efficient and meaningful ways to communicate, which can also help reduce meeting fatigue.
Try out an asynchronous communication platform, like threaded discussions in project management platforms or playing back videos and messages at twice the speed, says Entrepreneur. “This allows recipients to process and respond to information at their convenience, promoting a more flexible and productive workflow.”
Practice using Slack or Teams for urgent matters only and encourage your team to do this as well. Then, everyone can focus on their work without worrying about constant notifications and monitoring.
Here are five ways to help you improve focus, minimize distractions and boost productivity.
- Batch emails and create “unsubscribe” filter.
- Group similar tasks together.
- Silence notifications.
- Prioritize communication and avoid being a blocker.
- Limit meetings and embrace asynchronous communication.
Amy Jacques
Amy Jacques is the managing editor of publications for PRSA. A native of Greenville, S.C., she holds a master’s degree in arts journalism from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising from the University of Georgia’s Grady College and a certificate in magazine and website publishing from New York University.
