7 ways you are killing productivity

Research shows the clear-cut relationship between number of hours spent at work and productivity. In fact, research show that there is a dramatic decrease in the productivity when we start to go beyond the usual 40 hours per week at work.

Here are some of the common habits that kill productivity.

1. Impulsive web browsing

Impulsive web browsing is one of the major reasons for a drop in an individual’s productivity. How many hours do you spend working daily? About 8-9 hours per day? And, how many times does your mind get diverted from work because you clicked on something irrelevant? Or simply opened your Facebook just to check a few notifications?

Now, all that might seem like a few minutes per day, but when you club those minutes for an entire week, entire month or even an entire year, then you will see that picture is quite horrifying!

And, this isn’t just about laptops and desktops. The mobile bug has bitten us all. We have our smartphones on 24/7, clicking selfies, checking notifications and scrolling statuses.

2. Doing everything manually

Technology has brought us into a position where everything has become automated. From communicating with your team members to organising a team meeting, everything can be done without having to move from your seat.

If you are a stickler for doing everything the old school way, then you need to give it up right away! Because, believe it or not, by using a project management tool for your daily activities like assigning work, reporting, group chat, discussions and even proofing files and approval, you can save yourself from hassle and spare a good amount of time from your day to lift your productivity levels.

3. Using obsolete tools

Being a stickler for technology is one thing, but being stuck with obsolete tools is completely unacceptable, especially today when things are upgraded regularly.

It is time to ask yourself this question: when was the last time you upgraded the system being used by the project team in your organisation? If you cannot recall a date, then the first thing you need to do right away is to start looking to upgrade technology at work. Trust me, within days you will get to see the rise in productivity of your entire team.

4. You’re a solo artist

Do you micromanage? Studies show that micromanaging is one habit that not only annoys the team, but leads to a hyperbolic decline in productivity levels.

5. Impatience

More often than not, people who want to be productive try to become more productive in just one day. The reality is that productivity is a habit; it can take weeks, if not months, to come out of old habits that are killing your productivity and start getting better results from your efforts.

If you want to be productive, then stop procrastinating and stop the excuses. Start putting a little more effort in everything that you want to achieve, and things will start to fall in their place.

6. Too many apps

How many apps do you use for your work on a daily basis? Emails for assigning tasks. Group chat to communicate with the team. Then emails again to share files and get feedback and some other online tool to discuss things with team members working remotely or to communicate with the client.

Wouldn’t it be lot simpler if there was just one tool that you could use to do all this? That’s where project management tools come into the scene. If you are fluttering with too many apps, causing a decline in your productivity, then step up and start using a project management tool.

7. Not having a system

The biggest evil of them all is to not have a system in place. Do you follow a routine? How do you keep track of the results of every project? What’s your mantra to keep everyone in your team updated about the latest activities?

Having a system in place for everything cuts the effort to almost half. Everyone knows where they have to be if they are looking for an update, who is assigned to which task and which deadlines are falling in the near future! If you have the habit of keeping things scattered all over—not having a system in place for things—then it is high time to adopt one!

I’m sure every individual will have his/her own share of habits, which they think hinders their productivity. I would love to hear what you have to add to this list. What habits are killing your productivity?