For many of us, the main goal for the new year is to trim down our workload, and figure how to work less and achieve more. In other words, become more productive.
That’s easier said than done. By the time our first month at work is over, the siren’s song of emails, last-minute meetings, needy clients and energy-sapping events take control, and we find ourselves slipping back into bad routines.
The secret to productivity doesn’t lie in working longer hours, or harder tasks: it’s about organising the time you do have to be as efficient as possible.
So, before the new year kicks off, take a read of our top six productivity hacks to ensure that you stay focused and efficient in 2018.
#1: Don’t be the only decision maker
Working with corporates can mean plenty of red tape holding up the progress of an event. Choosing a venue, for example, usually needs to be approved by at least a handful of people before being confirmed. None of this poses a problem given you start early on the preparations — but if there’s a last minute change to plans? You’re going to be under a lot of pressure with no one else around to help.
Avoid the bottleneck and keep your plans moving ahead by electing a representative within the company or brand you’re working with. By sharing the final decision making responsibility, you will be saving yourself time if changes need to be made last minute.
#2: Create a schedule, and stick to it
Corporate clients are prime culprits for changing plans at the last minute – so it’s important to ensure that you leave yourself plenty of time to prepare efficiently. The key to optimum productivity is to create a highly detailed daily schedule — and stick to it!
You can schedule your day in a to-do list, or if you prefer to live by your calendar, allocate blocks of time for specific tasks. There is truth to the old adage, “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” Working within a certain time frame forces your brain to work toward a deadline — and move on when time is up.
#3: Systemise your workflow
According to productivity guru and bestselling author, David Allen, “The mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”
When you have an efficient system for capturing and organising the information that comes your way, you can stay present in the moment and avoid distractions.
Why is staying focused important? Because studies have shown that there is actually no such thing as “multitasking.” Instead of tackling multiple tasks at once, your brain is actually switching quickly from one task to another. And this type of behaviour actually leads to lower productivity — and higher rates of depression and anxiety.
To help busy people clear their heads and stay focused, David Allen developed a famous workflow as part of his “Getting Things Done” (GTD) series.The workflow allows you to “master the art of relaxed and controlled engagement” and gain control of your life.
It consists of five main steps:
- Capture what has your attention
- Clarify what each item means and what to do about it
- Organise the results
- Reflect on the results you’ve organised
- Engage with the item
Read More: Improve Your Event Planning Productivity by ‘Batching’
#4: Block out working time
Like most people, you probably use your online diary to set yourself reminders, block in meetings, or record important events. But how often do you use it to set aside blocks of uninterrupted working time?
Protect your calendar by blocking off chunks of time to sit down and actually get work done. You may have to reschedule or shuffle these blocks once in a while, but do your best to defend your working time so you don’t end up doing the work at midnight.
This means switching off your phone, email, and any other distractions that could eat into your working time.
#5: Have a ‘Plan B’ for ALL suppliers
Where it is your caterer, furniture supplier, entertainment, venue, or even decorations; be prepared for plenty of changes with large-scale corporate events. Like you, they also feel the strain of corporate functions— being among the biggest and most challenging.
Set yourself up for success by locking in at least one ‘Plan B’ for every supplier you plan on using. Don’t just record their details — call them, find out order requirements and timings, and have their order documentation ready to go and approved with your client. If you’re needing to switch suppliers at the last minute, you’ll need all the time you can get.
#6: Utilise a cloud-based organisational tool
Chasing a paper trail of approvals or bookings is a logistical nightmare when it comes to corporate events. Collate all your event information into an online, cloud based program to stay organised.
G-Suite from Google is an excellent choice — it’s free, and includes a variety of functionalities including email, document creation (similar to Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc), a high-quantity file drive, and an interactive calendar. Because G Suite products are built for collaboration, it’s easy to work across teams to update documents, share updates, and assign tasks in real time. Better still, they’re all accessible from your computer, tablet, or phone.
For corporate clients, this is a simple way to collaborate on event planning remotely, using a program they are likely to already be using.
Your productivity will come down to being organised and knowing when and where to delegate your work. Having visual prompts to guide you is just as important as carving out chunks of time in your working day where you can focus uninterrupted. Be sparing with time spent on your phone and social media, and automate as much as you can with some of the great online tools available.
For more practical tips on how to maximise your time when organising events, download our free guide, The Event Planner’s Ultimate Productivity Handbook.
