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If you are trying to improve your business, in many ways the biggest issue that you need to tackle is your productivity.

Productivity is one of those things that’s vastly open to interpretation. Many people believe that the right tech will help, but others talk about productivity being about good old-fashioned knuckling down. But productivity is about working smart rather than working hard. So what can be done in an office environment to make your business more productive?

The Appropriate Stimuli

You may think that a complete office fit-out is the best port of call, or you may just want to swap out some of the office furniture for more comfortable or stimulating setups. Additionally, you may want to bring more lighting and colour into the space, but the answer is about providing simple stimuli. For example, plants can help to reduce stress as well as noise levels. If you think about auditory stimulation, you may want to provide something that can help individuals focus on the tasks better, for example, binaural beats. There’s a lot of talk about the benefits of binaural beats, and specific frequencies relating to productivity. The answer to this is about having the right frequency according to the task. For example, binaural beats between 14 and 30 Hz has been linked to increased concentration and improved memory. As everybody works best in their own way, the best thing you can do is to provide a smorgasbord of stimuli.

Encourage Singular Focus

We believe that multitasking is the best way to get things done. The reality is that multitaskers are more susceptible to interference. Switching tasks increases distraction but also reduces the flow state. Flow state is so important because you will be able to get more done while also zoning in on the task. The best approach is to do one thing at a time while prioritising tasks in order of difficulty. In terms of the working day, we tend to peak a few hours after waking, typically around 11 am. This could be the best opportunity to do the most difficult tasks. Any smaller tasks that require less focus can be put off until later in the day.

Actively Encouraging Breaks

As important as the flow state is, we have to remember that we all benefit from breaks. In fact, regular breaks have been shown to improve performance and focus. If you want to encourage good quality focus while still having those breaks, the Pomodoro method is an excellent way to help people get more done in less time.

We are always looking for ways to make life easier. And this is why we have to work smart rather than work hard. Of all the great investments we can put into a business, it’s surprising that productivity is low on the list of priorities. Being productive is the way to increase your company’s abilities in so many ways. So rather than focusing on the targets, you need to focus on the productivity as being the key to your work.

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