As the month of October rolls in, people in India gear up for the festive season. Besides the obvious festive spirit, the other brimming feeling that has engulfed me is the thought of bouncing back with a bang. Yes indeed, the pandemic is not yet over and the subsequent lockdowns, have been a big jolt to the socio-economic machinery of economies across the world. Yet, we as a nation have embarked on the journey to create a self-reliant, sustainable economy and entrepreneurs are playing a critical role in shaping it. Thus, it is important that entrepreneurs should avoid certain practices in order to become more productive; some of them are as follows:-
1. Keep stress at bay – The busier you get, the more overwhelmed you get. Many a times that pattern manifests as stress. As an entrepreneur, you’re a leader. So, if you are stressed, your team will be stressed, and that will adversely affect productivity. Although stress is inevitable, a good way to counter this negative feeling is to take the time to express or feel gratitude. If you practice appreciation everyday it will make you happier and more grounded person, and it will make you a better leader and entrepreneur.
2. Stay relevant and organized – The pandemic has thrown our lives completely out of gear. We are striving to pick up the pieces and re-construct. Under such circumstances, it is imperative that entrepreneurs stay relevant and cater to the needs of the clients as per the situation. Change is the only thing permanent and changing in order to suit client demands and needs will not only help in becoming more productive but will also help entrepreneurs establish a permanent place for themselves in the market. Again, a huge part of productivity is organization. As entrepreneurs have so much going on it can be extremely difficult to stay organized. Writing things down is a useful tool to help you stay on top of your tasks, meetings, and calls.
3. Do not participate in irrelevant, distracting communication – Some entrepreneurs spend a lot of time micromanaging and refereeing personality conflicts in the workplace or engaging in their own workplace drama with partners, colleagues and investors. This can lead to a destructive cycle that harms the business, because if you spend time in resolving attitude related issues and problems, where is the time to think about improving productivity? If there are people on your team causing you too much stress or drama, you need to remove them from your team as soon as possible.
4. Time is money – so time-management is critical! – You should have an awareness of time, value and desired results when planning meetings, events or activities. Your time management is crucial to productivity and successful decision-making. As you better manage your time, you will be more aware of your own productivity and the results you are generating. The more aware you are of your own time management and results, the better you’ll be able to manage your colleagues and help them make the most of their days.
5. Prioritize your wellness before business – Physical and mental health are the most important components for long-term success at anything, especially the highly stressful project of building a successful business. Many entrepreneurs are depressed as they fail to carve out time for their own well-being. Most often, these topics are unspoken and not confronted because you may feel a need to be perceived as confident and able to handle anything, but this is a real problem that takes down many entrepreneurs and their productivity levels.
Avoiding these five common productivity mistakes won’t make you a billionaire, but it will surely give you a much better chance of success and sustainability.
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
