GET A RAISE BY IMPROVING YOUR WORK PRODUCTIVITY

Productivity is a very important skill that can be a huge asset to your career.

Fortunately, productivity is something that can be learned if it doesn't come naturally to you.

It includes effective time management, planning and follow-up. Here are six tips to help improve your productivity:

MAKE LISTS#1

Lists help you make sure that you are not missing anything that needs to get done.

Write down everything you need to do and add two columns. One for the time each task needs and the other for your deadline.

This will help you to determine the order in which things need to be done and will help inform you in step 2.

#PLAN EACH DAY#2

If you spend a few minutes planning your day, you will be able to determine the most efficient strategy for getting your tasks completed.

When you are planning to run errands, the first thing to be determined is the location.

Then plan a route that most effectively gets you where you need to go without backtracking.

The same strategy can be used to plan your tasks in the workplace.

Make sure to add a few extra tasks to the end in case you finish ahead of time.

CREATE A FOCUSED ENVIRONMENT

#3

What do you need in order to focus?

Quiet?

Clean?

Everything in front of you in a large, colorful display?

Work with your needs and create an environment that allows you to focus while still fitting into your workplace expectations.

For example, you probably won’t be allowed to blast your music but wearing earbuds might be permissible.

If you're having trouble focusing, switch it up and make it quieter, cleaner, out in the open or more secluded…

until you find the formula that works for you.

PROOFREADAND EDIT#4

A work product that has been double- and triple-checked will take longer to do, but it will also show a higher quality standard of work. As a bonus, it will require less time later.

Work that has been consistently double-checked will stand out to supervisors, because they know that they can count on you…

…to deliver a quality item that won't need to be sent back to fix typos, grammatical mistakes or math errors.

FOLLOW UP#5

Whether your job is sales or in-house document production, take some time and follow up with the person who receives your work.

Get an idea on what they liked and found helpful, as well as what they don't like.

If your job involves customers, follow up to make sure the products they bought were helpful and if they would like to be informed of new items.

Good communication can help you to create an atmosphere of trust, and teach you how to do an even better job.

KNOW WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP#6

Businesses are not built as one-person establishments or even as one-position establishments for a reason.

Tasks are often best completed when broken down into parts, and using people with specialized skill sets to complete pieces of it can help everyone be an expert in their section.

If you find that something in your task is out of your element, such as a technical item or repeated series of tasks that could be automated, consider asking someone else in the office for their help.

Seeking a new financial advisor position?

Speak with the experienced financial advisor recruiters of Willis Consulting Inc.

They can many top industry contacts and can help you land the position you want.

See open positions at http://www.willis-consulting.com/apply/

Los Angeles Office: Corporate Headquarters719 Yarmouth Road, Suite 203Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274310-373-7400 PST

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