Aiming for Productivity Improvement? Work Less To Achieve More
Anyone who works would probably say that work-life balance is a priority – or at least an ideal scenario. The dream is to work to live, after all. You grind to relish life and everything it has to offer. But the mountain of deadlines and paperwork you need to get through to live the life you want is difficult to enjoy. Is there an intersection between paying the bills, saving up for little pleasures, and having actual time to have fun? Productivity improvement could help you find that middle ground.
With the high cost of living in Singapore, many employees toil for long hours in five- or six-day workweeks to survive. Surveys show that the country has a burnout problem. People experience fatigue and anxiety in their jobs, which lead to decreased motivation, efficiency, and productivity. Unfortunately, this could also spill over from your professional life to your personal one.
So How Do You Stop Living to Work?
Consultant, speaker, and author of the book:Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang says:“Busyness is not a means to accomplishment, but an obstacle to it.”
He believes that the relationship between working hours and productivity has been viewed erroneously throughout the years. People often equate rest to laziness and longer working hours to productivity. For example, people assume that a person who's rarely in the office and photographs themselves at the beach is not getting anything done. Conversely, people conclude that a person who burns the midnight oil constantly achieves more in life.
In 2014, economics professor John Pencavel’s research stated that productivity per hour plummets when a person works more than 50 hours a week. The study also claims that after 55 hours, the drop in productivity is so significant that working more hours is considered pointless. Data show that those who work 70 hours a week finish as much as those who work 55.
With the results of these studies in mind, are shorter working hours or perhaps a four-day workweek the answer to productivity improvement?
The Four-Day Workweek Trial in Iceland
Iceland launched four-day workweek trials from 2015 to 2019. In 2021, the experiment's results were published and showed resounding success. According to the research, productivity remained or even improved for the majority of the participants. The reason? Employees had greater awareness of the workload and the amount of time needed to accomplish it. They understood that they must be efficient and effective to finish fast – and well. It changed the metric of their performance from hours logged to outcomes. The participants also appeared more motivated knowing that they have Fridays off.
Similar studies go way back.
Studies show that shorter working hours reduce stress, exhaustion, and negative emotions leading to healthier, happier, and more engaged employees. According to economist and director at the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute Jim Stanford: “There is absolutely no doubt that when people have a good work-life balance and get enough sleep, time with their family and leisure time, they work much more productively and effectively.”
Given the studies and data collected, shorter working hours or a four-day workweek may be considered as the answer for increased employee engagement and productivity improvement. However, is the world ready for this new work culture?
It's become a global movement.
4 Day Week Global, an organisation that aims to give a voice to all those who want to work less, is set to run a four-day workweek pilot program by June 2022. It was reported that around 20-plus global companies and 35 North American companies, from startups to multinational corporations, signed up for the trials.
Countries in Southeast Asia are also slowly taking an interest. In Singapore, a survey conducted revealed that four out of five (88%) Singaporean employees want the four-day workweek setup.
Adjustment may take time.
However, even with the increased interest in most parts of the world, it may take time before we see it in full bloom. Research reveals that even with the positive results and obvious benefits, only 7% of managers in the UK picked up the idea and launched it. The rest are said to consider it, but 30% claimed that it’s not for them.
Nonetheless, collected data suggests it is still possible. Surveys show that many young managers are interested compared to the older leaders they will someday replace.
Redesign Your Workdays
As the world waits for radical changes such as the four-day workweek, the pursuit of the work-life balance must start within you. How you approach your daily workdays to support your overall well-being is crucial and essential to your progress as a human being. Read on for strategies that may boost productivity and allow you to get things done in less time:
Take advantage of technology.
Thanks to technology, more apps have been created to aid in our productivity. Timeboxing and time-tracking apps are productivity tools for better time management.
- Timeboxing
Timeboxing is a strategy that can help you organise your tasks and plan out your workday. It’s about setting a specific amount of time for particular projects to help you focus and eventually get more things done. For instance, you can set a specific time at the start of your shift and towards the end to check and reply to emails instead of answering every time a new message pops in. It allows you to focus on the task at hand and give you ample time for other assignments within your working hours.
Check out these timeboxing apps to get started:
With remote, hybrid, and flexible work setups now further explored and practised, companies are beginning to apply flexibility and adaptiveness in their operations. However, keeping track of your team’s progress may come off as a big challenge. Thankfully, time-tracking apps exist to make this more manageable. You can use them to view employees' logged hours, calculate payroll, and even manage project timelines.
Here are time tracking apps to consider:
Create templates and checklists.
Work on templates for routine activities. You can work on templated emails, weekly reports, or checklists for monthly meeting agendas and one-on-one team catch-ups. Templates and checklists allow you to save time remembering what to do or the steps to follow. This practice will also help to avoid forgetting important details.
Recycle work material.
Re-use your previous material whenever possible. From training materials, proposals, emails, and presentations, making necessary tweaks instead of starting from scratch allows you to move on to your next task more efficiently and effectively.
Clarify goals and expectations.
Clarify tasks at hand. Having a clear view of your supervisor or client’s goals and expectations can help you save time and effort. You might start working on a detailed project plan when they’re only looking for an initial sketch. More so, when relaying tasks to your team, be as clear as possible with your goals and expectations as well.
Redesign Your Life
Work-life balance is not a luxury. You need to pursue a balanced lifestyle to continue functioning effectively as a human being. Overworking may seem like you’re achieving more but it can also fast-track work burnout and cause negative effects on your physiological and mental health. It’s a recipe for reduced vigour to live, causing one to be counter-productive. To prevent this, redesigning the way you live your life is essential. Here are some ways to get you started:
Prioritise rest and self-care.
It may be unlikely that everything that needs to be done in a day urgently needs your attention. Practice planning your day, timeboxing your tasks, and creating checklists. Set a daily routine to have ample time to rest and address your needs and happiness.
Value creativity.
Focusing too much on work will not give you the chance to expand your world. With this, creativity tends to get boxed up. Take time for recreational activities that spark your appreciation for life. Allow these activities to inspire you and let you grow.
Make time for the people who matter.
Our jobs are replaceable aspects of our life and, on the contrary, our friends and family are not. Take care of your relationships to keep a healthy and happy disposition towards everything else in your life.
Ultimately, the key is to strike a smart and proper balance. Work to satisfy your career goals and provide for your family but take rest and leisure time just as seriously so you can continue doing what you love for the people you love. Gaining a work-life balance enhances your zest for life and allows you to grow, recuperate, and perform better.
All set to jumpstart your career and live a happy well-balanced life? #LetsGetToWork then! Start by updating your JobStreet profile so you can view the best options available for you. Do you want more tips on finding that work-life balance? Learn how here. Download the JobStreet mobile app to get easy access to work opportunities and career advice. It’s available on Google Play and the App Store.
