3 Factors That Could Be Affecting Your Productivity [-_-]

Lack of view. Whether you’re an employee at a business or a volunteer for an organization you believe in, you need to know that your work matters. That happens when you understand how your work contributes to the bigger picture of what you and your team are trying to accomplish. There are tasks and goals, incentives and objectives, but we need to be able to understand how they all come together to produce a desired outcome. Without this understanding and concept of the bigger picture, it’s only natural to lose steam, have trouble getting motivated, and struggle with putting our best foot forward. So in whatever setting you’re in that requires you to be as productive as can be, take some time to map out how your assigned tasks and projects contribute to the whole. It’s always helpful to do this with your team and supervisors; in fact, it would be motivational for leaders to clearly paint the picture and provide that full view. But if that’s not possible, start by doing it for yourself!

Outdated systems and processes. Sometimes a company just likes things the way they are or they do not see the value in upgrading to the latest technology, and this issue can be detrimental on two fronts: morale and efficiency. Both of these factors will impact productivity in turn. Outdated systems and processes can cause frustration among workers, lowering morale among many. Updating software/hardware may be expensive, but it is an investment that will pay off for both employees and in efficiency. And while the status quo may be attractive to some, it is always helpful to see if there are any new and improved ways to do something, accomplishing more in less time.

Personal work space. Your working environment can greatly influence how productive you are. Distracting sounds or loud coworkers can interrupt and disturb your process. Do you sit close to a supervisor? This might inhibit your productivity due to the stress of working so closely to someone higher-up. Some people work well with music in the background while others find it distracting. And while working from home seems like a great perk and practice from time to time, many people actually find it to be less productive than working in a personal working space. Why? Perhaps it has something to do with the relaxed feel of home, and that mindset is hard to change fully into work-mode. Or it could have something to do with not having coworkers and supervisors to not only hold you accountable but also to encourage you to just get it done. Many people can establish what their optimal work space is, and while the size or placement of an office space may have some limitations, you can still use what you know about the working conditions you need to set up the best possible work space for maximum productivity.

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