Work Smarter: An Executive's Guide to Efficient Manufacturing
Streamline Your Workflow and Enhance Productivity
Key Strategies:
Optimize Efficiency: Implement batching and automation techniques, and learn to say no to non-essential tasks to enhance workflow.
Inbox Zero Approach: Adopt a systematic process to minimize email clutter and prioritize communication.
Maximize Peak Productivity: Schedule tasks to align with your most productive periods for optimal performance.
In today's demanding manufacturing landscape, executives and leaders are constantly seeking ways to optimize operations and reduce inefficiencies. Like many professionals, you might find yourself caught up in minor tasks, letting them eat into valuable family and relaxation time. The secret isn't working more hours but working smarter.
Nick Sonnenberg, a business efficiency expert, asserts that the overwhelming sensation of work isn't due to a lack of time but rather numerous small inefficiencies that cumulatively hinder productivity. His CPR® Framework focuses on communication, planning, and resources, aiming to refocus employees and leaders on core tasks to improve overall efficiency.
Cultivating an Efficiency-Driven Mindset:
Batching: Group similar tasks and tackle them in one focused time period.
Automation: Embrace technology to handle repetitive tasks, freeing you up for strategic thinking and decision-making.
Saying No: Develop the discipline to decline tasks that don't align with your goals or could be delegated.
Achieving Inbox Zero:
Filtering: Use tools to prioritize important emails and reduce spam.
Bulk Action: Archive old messages to declutter your inbox.
R.A.D System: Employ a Reply, Archive, or Defer system to keep your inbox manageable.
Controlling Time Management:
Identify Peak Periods: Leverage your natural peak productivity times for important tasks.
Communication Style: Choose between synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (on your own time) communication based on the situation.
Information Flow: Manage how information is pushed to you and strive to pull information when it's most convenient for you.
Conclusion
Embracing smarter work methods is not a one-time task but an ongoing journey of refinement and adaptation. With the rapid changes in technology and workflow methods, especially highlighted during the pandemic's push for innovation, executives in the manufacturing sector can greatly benefit from these strategies. By focusing on efficiency, you'll not only enhance your productivity but also regain valuable time for innovation, strategy, and perhaps most importantly, for yourself and your loved ones.
About the Author
Jason Glisczynski, CPWA®, CFP®, CAS®
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
Jason specializes in helping individuals with planning for retirement and has nearly 20 years of advisory experience, is a Certified Private Wealth Advisor® professional, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, an Investment & Wealth Institute® member, and author of the International Best Selling Book Planning with Purpose: Solving Your Unique Retirement Puzzle.
Jason Glisczynski is co-owner and principal advisor for Silvertree, LLC. Investment Advisory Services are offered through Brookstone Capital Management (BCM) LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor. Silvertree, LLC and BCM are separate companies.