Four tips to increase your productivity as a leader

1. Find a to-do list that works for you

Make a to-do list that you can check daily for each of the priorities you have set for the day. You can use a digital medium, or the traditional method (Paper / Pencil) and produce a master list of tasks yourself.

The key to this is to create subcategories on your to-do list, similar to important or urgent details; important but not critical details; and details that need to be done but are not critical. It seems so simple and obvious, but the clear definition of objectives and priorities for the week is an effective method that will allow you to visualize the progress of your commitments and the achievement of the daily objectives set.

2. Schedule 15-minute meetings

Avoid holding large and lengthy meetings, which usually can go by in a hurry while being just as productive, instead trust the people responsible for the task or work to make a decision. In my experience, too many people in a meeting are not productive because there are too many personalities, too many ideas, etc.

Sure, sometimes there are exceptions, but do that so you can focus on the business and critical goals. During these meetings, take concrete actions and, if necessary, give your opinion and your expectations on the spot. Your expectations must be clear, and the purpose of the meeting must be respected, and judicious without wasting time going back and forth.

And guess what? If the decisions made during the meeting were the wrong decisions, learn from those mistakes. One way to reduce the number and length of meetings you hold is to have as detailed a record as possible. Another way to exclude (some, but not all) meetings are to write a well-organized, bulleted dispatch outlining the information and/or tasks to be delegated.

3. Don’t micromanage

Surround yourself with people who have work ethics and organizational skills similar to yours. Some will sometimes be honestly better than you at every skill set. When this situation occurs, let them do their thing.

Above all, don’t micromanage, and even feel like you’re moving away DELEGATE!

Another way to do this is to talk to your employees about the way they work and structure your relationship with them accordingly.

• Are daily or bi-weekly checks useful?
• Would they prefer to be more independent with smaller meetings?
• Do meetings help them streamline their work and answer their questions?

By learning how they work, you can figure out how to support them, avoid micromanagement, and free up more of your time.

4. Ignore the phone when possible

Host in-person meetings and schedule time with friends and family for fun nights out for dinner or coffee.

This will keep you from being distracted by your phone and help you be present during work hours. To improve your productivity, consider keeping your own phone locked up for a few hours, turning off your notifications, or putting your phone in a drawer while you work.

Incorporating a few of these tips will have added benefits on the overall flow of your work week and, therefore, your productivity.

As a leader, making small changes can have a big impact on day-to-day effectiveness.