Elimination Planning

5 Questions to Improve Your Productivity

We usually tend to ask the question: “How can I be more productive?” As this question can produce an overwhelmingly long list of answers, let’s reverse it.

Instead, ask, “What is causing me to be unproductive?”

Answer these five sub-questions to help you identify and remove your roadblocks.

1. What are You Trying to Improve?

Write down your specific problem in this pattern: “In X amount of time, Y happened,” like these examples:

· Example #1: In 12 hours, I wrote one 1000-word article.

· Example #2: I spend 13 hours per week checking emails.

· Example #3: I spend eight hours a week in meetings.

Your specific statement establishes your starting point or baseline for improvement.

2. What is Your Process? Or How Do You Achieve Your Current Results?

Here is where you detail how you go about your task. Ask specific questions probing into your process.

Let’s look at Example # 2.

When do you check your emails? I check emails at the start of my workday and whenever I hear the notification bell for incoming ones. Do you read each email? I open all emails, even those that are advertisements. Do you respond to emails right away? I respond to emails on the spot even if getting the answers distracts or delays me from finishing my current task.

3. What is Causing the Biggest Bottlenecks in Your Process?

Based on question 2, write down the bottlenecks in your email checking process:

· You check emails anytime they come in.

· You have FOMO. You believe you will miss out on something important, be it personal or work-related.

· The need to reply right away is affecting other tasks.

4. What Can You Do to Remove or Improve Bottlenecks?

After identifying your productivity roadblocks above, see what you can do to address them. In the case of checking emails too much, write down your solutions:

· Batch your email checking at two or three fixed times in a day.

· Don’t open any email ads during work time. Open only those with work-related subject lines or those from people you do business with.

· Answer only those you have the answers to right away. Mark those that need some time for a reply.

5. What ONE Listed Bottleneck Will You Focus On This Week? How Specifically Will You Eliminate or Improve This?

Choose one roadblock that causes the most loss in productivity. Then, get super specific on your plans to address this impediment.

When will you do it? Where? What do you need to start?

Let these five questions help you streamline your work process. Get more done in the least amount of time by identifying and removing bottlenecks to productivity.

Photo Credit: Anyasean