Productivity hacks: 7 tips to work smarter, faster

February 25, 2019

by Tom Gimbel

Do something nice for someone.

This can be as simple as getting coffee for a co-worker or spending 10 minutes in a casual conversation not about work…just making someone else feel good. Smile when you get to the office. Offer to help someone on a different team who needs an extra hand. Engage with everyone around you. It results in positive energy for you.

Hire smarter, better people than you.

They get more done and push you harder to make decisions. They have high expectations and hold you accountable. They demand a lot because they want to achieve a lot. You can’t escape having to keep up with smart people. Doing this has helped me move much faster throughout my career.

Drink water.

It works. When you feel better, you get more done. I drink 10+ 12-ounce waters a day (I better be more productive because I need to balance out my time in the bathroom).

It’s also important to figure out how you work best:

Pick your time.

You’re either a morning person or an evening person. I pick mornings because it makes me feel like I’m beating my peers to start my day. I enjoy working while everyone else is asleep. I get up at 4 a.m. and I’m either reading the paper, reviewing emails or getting a project done. Again, it works for my brain…I believe the best way to start the day is by being out in front and ahead of the competition.

Don’t be afraid.

Whether you’re confronting an employee or a client about an issue, realize they are uncomfortable about the problem, too. Just address it and move on. Too much time gets wasted if you wait and dance around an issue.

Keep lists of what you want to get done.

Assign certain tasks to certain times…that way the list seems more manageable. Prioritize what needs to get done first and write that at the top of the list. Don’t get caught up in the things that aren’t due right away.

Utilize your calendar.

Use it for personal things and make appointments with yourself. I know myself…if I just say I’ll get to something…I probably won’t.Scheduling in time for things that don’t have deadlines around them…like reading and learning…makes a big difference. They help me get to the little things that usually get put on the backburner.