Emma / Published on December 8, 2013
In these trying economical times, it’s easy for ambitious people to feel like their efforts are going nowhere and their career progression ison major halt.
Confidence is low, people within companies don’t feel like taking risks and many middle managers feel like they’re spinning their wheels, afraid to go for that pay rise or promotion for fear of looking like they’re rocking the boat.
But there are a number of ways to make yourself truly indispensable to your employer.
Here are seven ways to boost your productivity and confidence and, who knows, even get that pay rise we all crave!
1. Plan your day and keep organised
It may sound obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how much more efficient you can be if you just plan in advance. Set yourself time-based targets for working on every task, instead of just ‘working as long as I can’.
2. Know when you’re more productive
Figure out at the time of day you are at your best and do all the complicated tasks or ones you just don’t like doing first. That means if you start to flag, or start dreaming about Friday drinks, you’ll have shorter and easier things to contend with.
3. Take short, productive breaks
Momentum is crucial to productivity. Just like when you go running, it’s so much harder to hit the same peak after you’ve stopped once. After all, if you’re ‘in the zone’, why stop? Lunch is obviously the big one - make a light lunch to eat at your desk over ten minutes, rather than taking the whole hour. If you do take a longer break, reply to any outstanding emails to save you time (even the mind-numbing ones).
4. Be more than just your job description
In order to be indispensable to your company, help other people to do their jobs well by being a great person to work with and offering to go above and beyond your job role. Make yourself visible to your employer by thinking outside the box in your suggestions.
5. Be proactive but don’t ask for too much at once
Take the plunge and showcase all of your hard work to your boss and prove that you deserve a raise. Ask them what else you can do for the company.
6. Get the balance right when supervising your team
Use an 80/20 approach when maintaining relationships with your staff, ensuring that you not only regularly touch base with everybody but that you are also able to devote time to those who need it. They’ll not only be happier and more productive, but it’ll also reflect brilliantly on you.
7. Stay positive & don’t become demotivated
It’s easy to become demotivated but this is the worse thing you can do. Persevere with a good attitude and you’ll get there in the end. Remember that hard work really does pay off and that companies really do prefer to promote from within.
We hope these steps help you move on up in your career faster!
What do you find hardest about staying productive?
