Workplace Productivity – TPW258

What can we do to maximize our productivity at work, wherever our workplace might be?



Productivity in the workplace

Many of us spend a big chunk of our waking hours at work. Just like everything else we do, we want to make the most of those hours doing a good job and being as productive as possible. But not all work environments are set up to maximize productivity, and in fact a lot of workplaces have set-ups or customs that actually interfere with productivity. Not only that, sometimes we don't take the tools and habits that make us most productive to work with us.

So this week, I'd like to talk about how to be more productive at work, what interferes with it, how we can get past the interferences, how we can give our best at work, whether we are working from home or from an office, and whether we're the boss or the employee.

Workplace productivity defined

“At its most basic, productivity is the amount of value produced divided by the amount of cost (or time) required to do so.”
“The Paradox of Workplace Productivity”


In other words, workplace productivity is not the time spent on work, but work produced in time. It really is about how much value you are adding while you are there.

Tim Ferris wrote a book titled "The Four-Hour Workweek." Though I don't agree with everything he has to say in there, he does make some good points about the fact that we are often not being productive while we are at work, not adding value, and not producing what we were hired (or formed our business) to do.

If we can be more productive--that is, add more value for each hour we are at work--in whatever environment we are working, perhaps we can spend less time working, and have more time available for things that are equally or more important than the work we are doing.

What interferes with workplace productivity?

“Typical motivation killers include toxic people, abrasive personalities, lack of organizational vision, absence of opportunities for professional development, poor communication systems, autocratic management styles, and the feeling of lack of appreciation. Addressing each of these requires a variety of approaches. . . .”
6 Effective Ways to Enhance Workplace Productivity


Interruptions (external)


* Meetings
* Phone calls, emails, and people stopping by


Distractions (internal)

“According to a recent study by Udemy, 69 percent of full-time employees reported being distracted at work. This is for a variety of reasons, but things like social media, noisy offices, unnecessary meetings, and chatty coworkers are some of the main culprits.”
Workplace Productivity: Promoting Well-Being, Efficiency & Effectiveness


Using the wrong tools


“You’re only as good as the tools you use.”



* The tools you actually use to do your job - hammer, computer, scientific equipment - whatever tools you use
* Ancillary tools that help make work more efficient - copy machines, communications systems, software, etc


“When employees aren’t provided with the correct tool...