When we get distracted our productivity suffers. As business leaders, our email inboxes are overflowing and we sometimes have meetings from the time we start our day, until the time we end the day.
Inc. contributor Jessica Stillman, came across a discussion on Q&A site Quora which shows how some high-profile start-up founders get a few more things on their to-do list done each day.
According to Stillman they use various tricks and tools to get more work done in less time and have some useful tips any business leader can use.
How to Be More Productive
Co-founder of Facebook and Asana, Dustin Moskovitz, says, “One of my favorite hacks is No Meeting Wednesdays, which we borrowed from Facebook.” Whether you are a manager or at the bottom of the totem pole, it ensures you have some uninterrupted time to work on a project.
Rob Fawson, founder of Staff.com and TimeDoctor.com says his favorite hack is Gmail Labs feature, Auto Advance. It automatically shows the next email when you archive the current email. He says, “This helps you keep to a zero inbox policy and prevents you from reading emails multiple times. It trains you to be much more productive with your emails.”
Founder and CEO of Inu, Gokul Nath Sridhar, suggests you leverage your time on the go. He says not to waste on-desk time.
He suggests:
- Check emails on the go.
- Keep your phone in silent mode and offline on Facebook/Skype while working.
- Use do-it-later services such as Pocket, to reduce time wasted in visiting distracting but interesting websites.
- Don’t even dare open Quora, which can easily suck you in for hours at a time.
Paul DeJoe, CEO at Ecquire.com, says he doesn’t have a Facebook account. It sounds simple enough, but it’s not practical for all of us. If you do have a social network profile and aren’t ready to quit it, try to manage your time instead. If you’re at work, don’t log on. Save it for down time.
Other advice included:
- Get out of the office
- Don’t check email first thing in the morning
- Unplug internet connection
- Write down three to six items you must complete
- Start with your least favorite project
Even business leaders have productivity worries, but take these tips and put them to work for you.
How do you stay productive?
