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One of the hardest working employees I have had work for me was one of my lowest producing workers as well. That is not that an unusual combination. Here is why. He Will Not Think Ahead It does not matter how many times I tell him, he does not take a few moments to think ahead and plan his next few moves. This is a costly error when you want to get the most out of your efforts. Failure to plan ahead, to anticipate what could go wrong and prevent that potential problem from happening are all keystones to achieving maximum production. This great worker is the first out of the gate to get at the work, but is always last when it comes to adding up the amount of work done at the end of the day. This worker, and many others like him, think that their superior working habits, physical presence and just a lot of energy will overcome the slower, less physical workers. But that is rarely the case. Over a day's production, over a week, over months and years, the numerical advantage that someone can gain by properly organizing themselves for their duties will always wear out the bull in the china shop approach of those who charge ahead without giving any diligent thought to the task at hand. It's When You Work That Counts If you are going to work hard during any process, it's at the beginning where you will do yourself the most benefit. The productive person is the person who has thought out what they are going to be doing and will have a good idea the lay of the land, what they will be heading into and what they should be encountering. This is when you want to be the most observant, pay the most attention and be aware of anything that is not the way it should be. At this juncture, you can rectify anything that could impede your progress and interfere with the successful completion of your task. Attention to Detail is Lacking This is a common trait I find in most of my clients who complain about their productivity. There is a general lack of interest in the details of the work they are doing. Their attitude seems to be that just completing the job is the main goal, not how the job is done or what the quality of the end product is. Increasing your production has to stem from a caring attitude that fosters improvement, innovation and the willingness to search out better ways of doing current projects. When the attention to detail is missing, so are the other ingredients for increasing your production. I have always said, I make my greatest breakthroughs in increasing my production when I am sitting on my butt, usually with a piece of paper and pencil in hand. The time to get adept at something is either before you actually start the task or after you have finished and are looking back at your performance. During the process is the worst time to tinker with what you are doing. Do not confuse this with my passion for the hands-on, ground level, get involved approach. There is a radical difference at play. I will quickly explain the difference. A hands-on, get involved approach means that during the entire approach, you want to be actively involved in all aspects of putting the project together. The planning, the execution, the work processes; everything should carry your hand and thought processes. A part of this hands-on approach is the before the process stage where planning and subjective thinking play a critical role in any job's success. This is where the paper and pencil comes in exceptionally handy. It's a very over-worked cliché, but a very valid one; "work smarter, not harder". Hopefully I have shown you a few instances where you can do some of that thinking.
Bryan Beckstead is the creator and developer of the Power Time System and the Power Productivity Maximizer and has been involved in the Self Improvement and Self Empowerment industries for almost 35 years. If you are really serious about improving your quality of life, visit him at www.powertimesystem.com
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