There are lots and lots of different technologies around today. So much that it can be difficult to know what will help and what will simply get in the way. While different people find different technology helpful in their daily life – there are a few things that are universal to everyone and will boost your ability to get things done efficiently. If you follow our 5 dead simple productivity tricks you could save up to 2 months of time per year.
1) Multiple Monitors
This is a super easy way to literally double your productivity. Imagine being able to look at that speadsheet on one screen and enter data on the other. Or maybe it’s being able to have Outlook open to look at your calendar while you send an email to a client (all without the maximizing/minimizing window limbo). And unless your computer is from the last century, it will support a secondary monitor.
2) Skype for Business
Ok, so this application is really awesome, simple, and powerful. I use it literally all the time. With the ability to see if your coworkers are available, away, or in a meeting quickly and easily it’s no wonder so many people are using this application to stay productive. Plus, this app integrates with all the other Office applications meaning you can see someones availability right from an email. This is especially handy if you have a quick question. It’s also nice because it enables for speedy communication and collaboration between team members regardless of physical location – a definite win for geographically disperse workforces. This is available through Office 365. (Check out our Office 365 page for more information)
3) Mobile Phone
Your mobile phone is your biggest productivity tool. The first step is adding your corporate email account to your phone. You may be thinking, “well jeez, I don’t want to have constant notifications”. Well, you’re in luck! Most devices these days allow you to tailor your notifications and can even group them (e.g. If you get 50 emails in 5 seconds it will only give you one alert for the entire group). The next step to staying productive with your mobile device is to install all your corporate apps onto your phone, assuming they have a mobile app – and most do. If you want to go the extra mile you can even ask your IT team if your company is using VOIP. If thats the case, you can then configure your phone to make and receive calls using your work phone number and extension. (Check out our VOIP page for more information). As well, if you are looking to control or distribute specific sets of applications to your employees on their corporate devices (or even their personal devices – then you should check out our BYOD page to learn all the benefits of a byod solution.
4) Talk over Text
Its known that commuincation mediums like text only convey an actual 7% of the actual intended message. There are lots of verbal and body language cues that are associated with communicating. These non-verbal communication methods are very good at helping you convey your message. This is why it can be a huge time saver to simply pickup the phone and have a quick conversation vs a long back and forth email conversation since there will be less likelihood of a misunderstanding with the former. Not to mention its probably quicker to call and get the information you need instead of having to wait for someone to be at their computer and checking their email. (if you cannot email, chat/IM is another good alternative).
5) Reduce Meeting Times
We all know that Outlook defaults to a 1 hour meeting when adding something into the calendar but how often does the meeting actually take an hour? Time management is one of the largest factors of productivity. The better you can manage the time you have, the more you will be able to accomplish. Having a realistic view of your schedule will help you keep on track plus most meetings can be done in 30 minutes (sometimes even 15 minutes). If you cut your daily meeting from one hour down to 45 minutes you will gain back 25 hours per month, or about 300 hours per year which is almost 2 months. As you can see, this little trick can have a huge impact.
If you want to find out how your company can be more productive by better leveraging their technology we can help! Schedule your IT Assessment today and take the first step to a more productive workforce! Check out our IT assessment sample reports to find out what you’re missing.
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Related:
https://www.systechinfo.com/25-ways-to-assure-a-successful-project
https://www.systechinfo.com/news/2016/03/10/new-office-365-reporting-monitoring
https://www.systechinfo.com/news/reporting-in-office-365
https://www.systechinfo.com/product-comparison-office-365-vs-exchange-server-download
