Tips to increasing your productivity

The corporate workspace is an area where focus is as critical as productivity. However, because of office distractions, many employees often struggle to focus on what needs to be achieved, resulting in increased company expenses and less effective output. While a drop in productivity sometimes cannot be avoided from time-to-time, there are ways to ensure that it doesn’t decline too much. When it comes to problems with productivity, it can sometimes be difficult to spot what the main issues are. Productivity can suffer over time as challenges and work habits have an effect on what is achieved and how. Even if you’re not aware of any productivity concerns, it is worthwhile checking from time to time where you can boost efficiency. Prepare for the day ahead Nothing is as important as knowing which of your tasks matter the most. Collect your thoughts the night before and create a to-do list for the next day. Determine which demand needs immediate attention and which can be done later that day. A priority list will enable you to focus on those business needs that require immediate attention, allowing you to complete more tasks. By allocating a specific order and time to each individual job you will be able to more clearly achieve and evaluate your progress at the end of the day. Shut personal connections out The worst distraction in the office is employee connectivity to the outside world. Social networking sites, emails, and personal calls divert the focus from significant and pressing work concerns to personal matters. The key here is to look at how you can contain the social aspects which make work enjoyable and employees happy, and balance this personal freedom with the demands of your business. You may find that restrictions are needed, such as limiting personal phone calls. Some companies impose a ban on social media sites and keep a tighter reign on personal communications. Other companies keep a more open policy but instead instill in employees a personal responsibility to impose limits on their own behavior. Get in the working zone By showing your colleagues that you are busy and concentrating on your work you put up a barrier to them distracting you. By being polite and friendly but putting your work game face on you can show your determination and produce results to show at the end of the day. It’s easy for time to drift by with idle chat and unnecessary interruptions which could wait until break time. Set personal deadlines You may have a deadline set by the demands of a job you are focusing on, or set by someone working with you, but personal deadlines are also necessary. By giving yourself a set time to furnish reports and deliver outcomes, for example, you keep yourself focused and produce results. Keep your desk free from piled-up paperwork and tasks so you do not have to cram to meet deadlines. Determine your distractions Know which, from among the office clamor, distracts you the most and create a way to eliminate, minimize or extract yourself from this problem. Is it noise from other people that is bothering you or perhaps as simple as the pop-up notifications on your computer screen? Do yourself a favor and deal with it. Focus is at the core of these guidelines. Start asking yourself what is preventing you from concentrating. Look at how you work and what the situation is when you’re in the flow and getting what you need to achieve done. Productivity is essential in the corporate world as it is about fulfilling goals, ambitions and commitments, which can have a spillover effect on your life outside of work too. Determine which from among your tasks need to be fulfilled first, focus and boost your productivity. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

IE zero-day flaw you need to know

The tool that allows the vast majority of businesses to utilize the Internet in order to carry out their day-to-day operations is the browser. While there are numerous browsers available, many businesses rely on Internet Explorer (IE). This browser comes pre-installed on all machines using Windows. However, if you use IE, there is a new exploit that you should be aware of. Read more...

3 business backup options

Data is an integral part of any business, and it is a good idea to ensure that it is always available to your business too. This means you also need to back it up in case disaster jeopardizes or wipes out your original data. Looking into backup solutions, you will quickly come to see that there are a number of options you can employ. The challenge then is deciding on which one. Read more...

Using Spike in Word

The word processor is one of the integral pieces of software at a business’s disposal. While there are more than a few options available to users, the most useful has to be Microsoft Word. With a variety of useful features, users can create almost any style of document. Many of us use Word on a daily basis, yet we still find new features to make our jobs easier. One such example is the Spike. Read more...

Successful content marketing

Marketing is an integral part of business operations and there are some useful strategies that can be employed, with one of the most effective being content marketing. This is creating your own branded content and sharing it on various platforms. When carried out successfully, businesses can see increased brand recognition and many more benefits. The question is how exactly a business can be successful with content marketing. Read more...