Productivity and the Entrepreneurial Mindset
“The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” – Walt Disney
People have ideas all the time. As you go about your day, you may have a moment of inspiration that could be the start of a new business. Without a heavy dose of hard work, however, your great idea will go nowhere. Why is productivity important? The entrepreneurial challenge is turning a brilliant idea into a working business.
5 Tips for Personal Productivity
For an entrepreneur, productivity begins with the individual. Unless people see that you are putting in the work, it will be challenging to find investors or recruit new team members.
1. Focus on the “Why.”
Entrepreneurial productivity is more than crossing items off a to-do list. Real productivity moves your business toward a goal. Understanding why you work will help improve how you work. Focusing on the goal will also empower you to step away from tasks that are not relevant.
2. Prioritize Your Daily Tasks
Especially at an early stage, you will encounter more action items than you can carry out in a day. One of the most crucial entrepreneur skills is learning how to prioritize. Make sure that you are accomplishing the tasks that move things forward.
3. Get Organized
There are many different organizational styles. The messiest desk will be organized if you can easily find what you need. Develop a system that minimizes the amount of time you spend looking for old paperwork, notes, and emails.
4. Change Your Schedule
A lack of motivation may be the result of getting stuck in a rut. As an entrepreneur, you’re in charge of your schedule. Changing when you do things will break patterns and let you look at your work from a new perspective. It can also be helpful to change the location of your work now and then. These changes force your mind to make small adjustments and stay nimble.
5. Take Meaningful Breaks
Stepping away from a busy day does not mean you are giving up. Most people have a limited amount of focus. A brisk walk in the middle of the day gets your blood pumping so that you can take on the next challenge. A session of yoga or mindfulness meditation can clear your mind and prepare you for more creative work.
5 Tips for Team Productivity
As your organization grows, you want to create an office culture that inspires a productive entrepreneur mindset. The way you manage your team will have an enormous impact on this effort.
1. Minimize Meetings
Unnecessary meetings use the precious time that could be devoted to productive action. Daily gatherings may give the impression that you do not trust your employees. That perception can be a blow to morale. While it’s essential to check in with your teams, you want to do it in the least disruptive way possible.
2. Clarify Team Roles and Tasks
No one wants to feel like they are wasting their time. Cooperative work becomes confusing when team members do not understand their roles. A good manager will break down assignments so that everyone has clear expectations.
3. Develop Workable Goals
While it’s necessary to share a long-term vision, it’s also helpful to set up minor goals along the way. People become more productive when a goal is in reach. You might want to think about ways to celebrate these smaller victories. Every step toward your long-term vision is a win.
4. Offer Individual Flexibility
Often, business leaders have the flexibility to determine a productive schedule, but they do not give that option to their employees. Some people get the bulk of their work done just as the sun is rising. Other people are happy to work late into the night. You may discover that a flexible schedule helps you get the most from your employees.
5. Play to Team Member Strengths
Leaders benefit from learning the strengths and weaknesses of their team members. People get excited to showcase their expertise. You probably do not want your employees to stay in their comfort zones all the time, but letting their strengths shine is a rewarding experience.
Developing Creative Productivity
People imagine productivity as cars moving slowly down an assembly line. However, for the entrepreneur, meaningful productivity is more like a creative dance between imagining and doing. If you need help learning the steps, I would be pleased to work with you. Contact me today.
