Processes are the Key to Increased Productivity

Have you ever thought about a way to improve your productivity?

The answer lies in having processes that make you as efficient and effective as possible.

If you think about it, almost everything we do can be done as a process.

Here are just a few examples: Morning routine, making breakfast, working on your inbox, answering emails, conducting meetings, creating a project work plan, strategic planning.

Our key to improving our efficiency and effectiveness is to continuously improve our processes.

Here is a simple method that can be used to increase your productivity with processes:

Create a Written Process

The first step is to create a written process for any process that you want to improve. When you write it down or create a flow chart, you really have to think about it.

The thinking through of that process causes you to consider what else you could do differently.

Review Your Process

Once the process is written down, take the time to review it. Analyze what you could do differently to increase productivity.

What steps could be left out of the process? What steps could be combined? What steps could be switched out for new steps to speed up the execution of the process?

Redesign Your Process

Now that you have written down your process and reviewed what you can do better it is time to redesign your process.

Rewrite the process with the unnecessary steps deleted and the steps that will speed up the process added to it.

Use Your New Process

Now is the time to try out your new process. As you use it, ask yourself how it is working.

Is it more efficient? Is it as effective as the previous one?

Make Adjustments

Once you have tried the new process, it is time to make mid-course adjustments to complete the refinement of your new process. The adjustments are probably going to be finer details and points that will keep you motivated to continue using your new process.

Processes are the key to increased productivity. With them our ability to continuously improve what we do is endless.

Without processes we are mostly likely stuck where we are unless we haphazardly come up with something new. What methods have you found to improve your processes?