Workplace Productivity – TPW389

Whether you work for yourself or for a company, workplace productivity is as important as productivity in our home. This week we're considering some ways to maintain your motivation and stay productive in your job. Perseverance is a key to workplace productivity For the last 25 years or so I’ve worked as a lawyer in a couple of different law firms. For most of those years, I commuted to an office downtown. For the last 3 or 4 years, I'm still a partner in a large firm, but working exclusively from home.  I’ve had a lot of other jobs too, though, over the years. Among other things, I worked as a clerk for the state Department of Licensing, at McDonald’s, as part of a motel cleaning staff, in a daycare center, and as an administrative assistant for a small business. So I've had a lot of different experiences in different types of work environments.   Just like everywhere else, productivity at work is about managing our time, energy, and attention--the productivity components we talked about in last week's episode. I started thinking about this lately, inspired by a question Brandi asked in the TPW Community Facebook page: “Hi everyone!  I’d really appreciate your good advice. After working for the same agency for over 15 years, I think I’ve become too comfortable. I’m not as disciplined as I used to be at staying organized and working to my full potential especially when it comes to time management. I’m starting a new job at the end of April. What are your tips at staying organized, tidy, and disciplined?  Another concern I have is that I’m the only person in my building with the position, so I will have limited contact with people to teach me about my new responsibilities.” I’ve been thinking about this ever since I read Brandi’s post. I thought I’d share a few thoughts about being productive at work, trying to focus on things that apply to any kind of work situation, but mostly for those jobs where you go to work somewhere outside your home. I will also share some of the great advice women in the TPW community offered in response to Brandi’s question. One important key to maintaining motivation and staying productive is--just like any endeavor--awareness and intention Know your why -- why are you there? Yes, we work for a paycheck, but why here? Why this job? What do you hope to get out of it in addition to the paycheck? Is it a stepping stone to a better job? Do you hope to develop skills you can parlay into career advancement?  Know what your primary contributions are. There probably are lots of things you can do, but time is finite, and knowing what your primary responsibilities are will help to allocate time when there’s more to do than you have time to get it done. If you have a manager or supervisor, ask them to clarify their expectations. What do they think is the more important thing?  If you’re an entrepreneur or work for yourself, identify your unique contributions--the things only you can do for the business--and make sure you allocate the most time (and your best time) to those things. Pay attention to the relationships A life that matters almost always matters in relation to people, and that's true at work as well. Relationships can either enhance or detract from your ability to do your job and do it well, so pay attention to key relationships in your company and nurture them. * Managers/supervisors--Communicate-know how you can support their goals and make their life easier.  * Peers--They can be a great source of support, ideas, and backup.  * Support staff--Develop relationships with these people, supporting and showing appreciation to them,