9 Ways to Bring your 'A' Game to Work

Apr 5, 2018

How do you get the most out of your working day? Here, Communicate Better runs through how you can bring your 'A' game to the table...

1. Start the night before

There's nothing quite like good prep.

You'll be surprised how much of a difference an early night and an easy morning can make to your day.

A good night's sleep ensures you wake up feeling refreshed and ready for a productive day.

Meanwhile, simple tasks such as making a packed lunch or planning your outfit in the evening can save a lot of stress in the morning when you're rushed for time as it is.

2. Be early for work

Punctuality is key. An extra few minutes in the office - before everyone gets in - offers you time to relax and plan your tasks for the day.

3. Prioritise your tasks

Create a to-do list, with the most important stuff first, and set deadlines for yourself.

That way, you’ll have an organised plan for the day, and will be able to work stress-free in the knowledge that the most pressing tasks are going to be out of the way first.

4. Don't hold back

Never let your time go to waste. If you have some time to do a task straightaway, just get on and do it.

We tend to avoid the horrible jobs and replace them with the more fun and fluffy ones... this can backfire.

Sometimes being confident in your decisions (i.e. getting the not-so-nice tasks out of the way) and showing resourcefulness is all your boss wants from you.

5. Ask questions

Be inquisitive, share your opinions, and don’t always accept a yes/no answer.

Asking questions is the best way to make sure your job is done to the highest standard possible, and getting answers also ensures that you know everything there is to know about it. The quality of your work isn’t worth compromising on just because you avoided asking for someone’s advice.

6. Don't take on more than you can chew

Sometimes a heavy workload can make a person crumble. Avoid this situation.

If you simply don’t have the time to complete a project or task, tell whoever needs to know at the earliest opportunity.

The last thing you want to do is to make promises you can’t keep. You’ll only end up disappointing everyone involved when the task inevitably isn’t completed on time.

So, be honest and direct, and always explain the reasoning behind your situation.

7. Be flexible

If something you haven’t planned for crops up, don’t let it stress you out. You can easily go back to your list and re-prioritise.

Unforeseen events are common in most workplaces, and if you can’t deal with them calmly and professionally, you’re probably not going to give off the best impression about your work ethic.

8. Keep meetings short and sweet

crowd

Meetings can either be the MOST or LEAST productive part of your working day.

Set an agenda, cover the main points, and share actions afterwards. Making everyone stand up can speed up the process too...

Wasting time on unnecessary small talk, or failing to organise a meeting properly can mean it lacks direction – and as a result, it’ll end up taking longer to achieve the main objective.

9. Stay productive

Sometimes your body needs a time out to be able to work at its best. So always take time for regular breaks – even if it’s just standing up and having a stretch.

If your job involves sitting down all day, make sure you’re moving around regularly to avoid any awkward muscle cramps – and to stay alert. And if you’re always standing, have regular sitting down breaks to rest your legs.