3 Tips for Maximizing Productivity | Kathryn Minshew

For all the technology and design that goes into making the modern workday productive, e.g instant messaging apps that help you communicate with colleagues opposite you in an open-plan office — it remains filled with distraction. Facebook, perhaps the greatest distraction the world has ever known, recently released an "at work" interface, presumably to compete with office apps such as Slack, doubtlessly realizing everyone was already on Facebook at work anyway.

Ironically, it is sometimes necessary to move in the direction opposite technological efficiency to improve your productivity. As workplace expert Katherine Minshew recognizes, we all want to get more done. Here she explores the ways that being more productive doesn't mean being "always on," or perpetually available.

Her first recommendation is to get to know yourself better. Despite our 24-hour work culture, there are times of the day when you'll naturally be more productive. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to which time works best for you — it comes down to personality quirks. So, says Minshew, embrace your individuality and if you work best late at night, allow yourself that option. Modern employers, ultimately thanks to communication technology, are likely to be flexible about the hours you work, as long as your hitting your professional goals.

Secondly, while the open office plan facilitates communication, it also facilitates interruptions. While cubicles were perhaps claustrophobic and anti-social, they did provide a quiet space for work to occur in. Today, headphones, or other physical barriers like books, can provide a bulwark against the tendency to interrupt in our communication-ready offices.

Finally, Minshew recommends that you delegate like your job depends on it. Perhaps indeed it does. The goal is not to pass the buck to open space for real focus to occur. Delegation is another kind of barrier that prevents tasks from encroaching on your most important priorities. So don't be surprised if you and your team are delegated to, and don't hesitate to farm out projects that are better handled by other individuals or other departments.