Efficiency is, pretty much, the Holy Grail of business. Getting more done, in less time, with fewer resources? That certainly sounds like a great way of edging out the competition, earning a tidy profit, and staying on top of your game.
Of course, just because efficiency is a “good thing,” generally speaking, that doesn’t mean that it’s always perfectly straightforward or intuitive how you should go about actually being more efficient.
Here are a few tips on how to increase efficiency in your professional life.
Always look for ways to kill two birds with one stone
The essence of efficiency is always looking for ways to kill two birds with one stone.
Of course, it won’t always be possible to get more done with less – at least, not without making unacceptable sacrifices to overall quality. But, in many cases, you will be able to kill two birds with one stone by exercising a bit of creativity and shrewdness.
If you have a large open workspace, for example, finding a good Mezzanine floor supplier and having a Mezzanine level added might allow you to get significantly more out of that space, without having to find larger premises, and without getting more disruptive structural work done.
The specific ways in which you can “kill two birds with one stone” will, of course, vary depending on your industry and the particular nature of your business. Just make a point of always being on the lookout for ways to do so.
Focus on the most important things, but don’t try to do everything
A quote, attributed to Warren Buffett, says that “the difference between really successful people and everyone else is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”
No one has unlimited time, unlimited energy, or unlimited resources. The clear implication of this is that you simply cannot do every conceivable thing out there that might marginally benefit your business. You have to be selective.
A major part of acting efficiently is prioritising those actions that have a disproportionately large positive impact, and disregarding all the time-intensive “small stuff” with less defined payoffs.
Leverage the power of undivided attention as much as possible
If you interrupt the course of your work day every half an hour to check your emails, make small talk, and browse the web, you are certainly not going to get as much done as you would if you had remained diligently focused on your work for that entire time period.
Leveraging the power of undivided attention is an excellent way of ensuring that you are able to get as much done with your time as you possibly can. And, suffice to say, time is easily one of the most important resources you have at your disposal.
Practice your ability to stay focused on one thing for long stretches of time. Block out distractions, and avoid getting sidetracked.
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