Work Smarter – Not Harder
Work Smarter – Not Harder: This summary of the book Work Smarter, Not Harder: 18 Productivity Tips That Boost Your Work Day Performance, by Timo Kiander, is ideal for anyone looking for some quick tips on how to improve their productivity. Productivity is all about getting more done in less time, it’s about being smart about how you work, and you don’t necessarily have to work any harder.
This summary will briefly discuss each of Kiander’s 18 ways to improve your working day. Ranging from avoiding distractions to processing emails and what to do before a vacation. I’m sure there will be plenty of tips you can take away and implement into your workday routine.
START YOUR DAY RIGHT
Work Smarter – Not Harder
“To have a solid foundation for personal productivity, the following blocks must be in place: proper mindset, physical activity, optimum nutrition & enough sleep.”
The very first tip Kiander puts forward is learning to wake up earlier. This adds more hours to your day, increasing your flexibility and providing a better and more productive start to the day. Although it sounds confronting, the idea of waking up earlier, Kiander has a simple process for implementing the change. Simply wake up 15 minutes earlier every day for 3-4 days in a row. Get used to this new time, and then feel free to make a further adjustment. One important thing to note now is that you need to ensure you get to be on time.
Once the new routine has been established your new schedule will be open for you-time. Kiander suggests using the time to meditate, exercise or read.
FIND YOUR OWN WORKING STYLE
Nobody can focus all day every day, so Kiander recommends trying out a few different routines and techniques to see what works for you. Here are a few of Kiander’s top suggestions to Work Smarter – Not Harder:
- The Pomodoro Technique: break your working day into 25-minute chunks with 5 minutes in between each new session. When 4 x 25-minute cycles have been completed, take a lengthier 15-30 minute break.
- 90-Minute Intervals: many people believe that our body works in a 90-minute cycle. Focus for a 90-minute period of time, then follow this up with a 20-minute break and repeat throughout the day.
- 52-17: Just as it sounds, work for 52 minutes, then take a 17-minute break. Repeat.
AVOID DISTRACTIONS
Kinder identifies the top 3 distractions that you experience during any working day; communication tools, people, and internal distractions.
- Communication tools such as social media and emails have a time and a place, but when your knuckling down and trying to focus on work you need to set some rules. For example: allow yourself to check emails only two times a day and for no longer than 20 minutes.
- People are another distraction, and they can be colleagues around the office or even family at home. A few options are changing your location, if you’re constantly interrupted at home, try a cafe or shared working space. And if you work in an office, try out some noise-canceling headphones and request that people don’t disturb you.
- Finally, internal distractions, are sometimes the hardest to conquer. A distracted mind is usually the result of a lack of food or sleep or a lack of breaks. Ensure that you are well rested, fed and take regular, consistent breaks throughout the day.
PLAN & DRINK UP
Kiander recommends always planning your day at least one day in advance. Set aside time the day before to write down exactly what you plan to do the next day.
This means that when you arrive tomorrow, you already know exactly what to get started on. Writing things down also eliminates having to rely on your memory.
Another crucial element of your working day is drinking enough water. Kiander explains that drinking water actually has multiple benefits on your productivity output. A University in London studied the effects of drinking water on the brain and concluded that being hydrated will improve your brain’s performance by 14%!
TASK MANAGEMENT
Kiander explains the importance of identifying which task is the most important and tackling that first thing in the day. If you don’t know whether a job is more important than another, consider the long-term and short-term effects of both completing the task and not completing it.
Kiander explains that if tasks are going to have a significant effect on your future, then these are the ones that you should prioritize. Although the results may not be evident immediately, they are worth getting on to sooner rather than later. And Kiander reminds you to consider the knock-on effects of your task, even though it may not be incredibly important to you, a colleague may be relying on your work before they can move on with theirs.
Kiander uses the term ‘frogs’ to refer to the tasks you really don’t want to do, the ones you procrastinate and avoid doing as much as possible. He explains that these are the tasks that you actually need to do immediately. You are often putting your ‘frogs’ off due to fear (e.g. the prospect of calling a disgruntled customer). Rather than giving yourself the time to fret about it, get it done and out of the way. You’ll be relieved and able to move on to the next task promptly.
MEETINGS
Meetings seem to be an ongoing dilemma, they tend to drag on longer than necessary, and often you find yourself going around in circles. Kiander recommends asking the following questions before you commit to another meeting:
- Is it crucial that you attend?
- Is there any way you can attend virtually?
- Is this meeting even necessary?
- Does the meeting have an agenda?
- Is it possible to set a time limit for the meeting?
- Is any technology required in the meeting is plugged in and functional before you start?
BATCHING
Another useful tip from Kiander is to batch all tasks that are similar in nature together. For example, don’t check your emails whenever you get a notification. Leave them and a few times throughout the day you can commit to reading and replying to emails. Kiander recommends checking no more than 3 times a day (early morning, mid-day, and right before you leave). Use this approach for other tasks such as phone calls.
A few other email tips from Kiander are:
- Don’t check your emails as soon as you arrive, get stuck into the most important task then you can check a bit later.
- Close your emails when you’re not using them.
- Turn off the notifications for emails.
- Add an auto-reply to your email explaining that you only check your emails 2-3 times per day and not to expect an immediate reply.
DELEGATING
“Delegation helps to level the workload & gives us more time to focus on our important assignments.”
Delegating is extremely important in the workplace. Kinder explains that when done correctly it will level the workload out and ensure that you have the appropriate amount of time to focus on the relevant tasks.
Kiander’s first tip when it comes to delegating is to ensure that you always provide enough detail and instructions when assigning a task to someone else. You want to eliminate any opportunity for mistakes to be made. The best way to do this is to follow the steps and instructions yourself to ensure they are clear.
Another thing to note is that you should always provide a deadline, this means that whoever is completing the task is aware of their time constraints.
Finally, Kiander recommends having a follow-up task of your own so you can check in and make sure everything is going to plan.
To get the full picture of how you can Work Smarter – Not Harder, you can obtain the book by clicking on the link below.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: 18 Productivity Tips That Boost Your Work Day Performance, by Timo Kiander
