From early utilitarian ways of seeing an employee just as a cog in the machine, it has come a long way to actually focus on meaningful work that combines effectiveness and efficiency with a culture of compassion.

Workplace productivity has been a topic of discussion from time immemorial. But its connotations keep changing with time. From early utilitarian ways of seeing an employee just as a cog in the machine, it has come a long way to actually focus on meaningful work that combines effectiveness and efficiency with a culture of compassion. Here’s how I view this challenge of workplace productivity-

Managing time: Urgent v/s important

Time management is something we have been doing all through our lives- right from school to our professional careers. Working in an industry that always wants things done yesterday, one big lesson I have learnt is to divide the tasks into urgent vs important. Urgent is what is due the earliest and important is what has the highest stakes. The golden rule is to do urgent first, and schedule important well in advance.

Another really important thing is always spelling out deadlines clearly. Overcommunicate if need be but always make sure everyone’s on the same page. As Brian Tracy once said, “Every minute you spend in planning saves 10 minutes in execution; this gives you a 1,000 percent Return on Energy.”

Managing teams: Smart collaboration

Getting things done is one part of productivity, but getting things done together is a whole new game. Collaboration has always been a challenge in the corporate world but remote working has added another layer of difficulty. In the abundance of collaboration tools, we sometimes tend to get carried away by the tech instead of accounting the utility. Smart collaboration is collaborating efficiently and effectively and not just because business processes demand it. Next time you have a meeting think about it- Do we need all people on this call? Are we using our meeting time efficiently?

The millennial humor of “this call could have been an email” could actually be true in some cases and really points to the value of collaborating smartly.

Managing procedures: Do away with “this is how we do it”

The routine assembly-line approach where processes are set in stone is often credited for productivity. However, today’s business environment requires more than stringent procedures, they require a balance between structure and innovation. “This is how we do it” can often become a trap, a garb for efficiency while actually hindering long-term productivity. Just going with the flow because it takes time to rethink restricts our innovation, which in the long term hurts our productivity. At the same time constantly thinking out-of-the box can also make you lose structure. So, while procedures aren’t set in stone or non-existent, they should be leveraged and reassessed from time to time.

Managing culture: Learning and Compassion

While a lot of focus for productivity is put on doing better, the role of being better remains understated. Apart from the L&D function of the company, an overall environment of learning motivates employees to grow and contribute more to the organization.

Simultaneously, it’s also important to help people connect with their inner sense of purpose and drive, to align their personal goals with that of the organization.

Productivity often shows itself as a sum total of all you do to build a healthy culture. When you’re not constantly worried about getting work done, and focus on the broader culture, it quietly sweeps in and reins its magic.

As it is said, it’s not about the hours you spend, it’s about the value you add to the hours.

(The views expressed in the article have been penned down by Ashish Gupta, Managing Director, Texmaco solely for BW People publication)