Productivity Tips That Actually Work for Our Team

Even seasoned professionals can look for new ways to maximize their productivity. Adding tools to your executive belt might just be the thing that helps make 2024 your best year yet. In this article, we asked members from the Bristol Team to share some wisdom about leadership, time management, and more.

Staying Focused

Ever wonder how our team stays focused in order to tackle multiple executive searches at once? Here are some tricks we use throughout the day to stay on top of our game that you can give a try.

According to one of our newsletter polls last year, 67% of our subscribers check their work inbox as soon as they receive an email notification, including after hours. But you shouldn’t let new emails derail you; try these tips our team uses to get your inbox down to zero without compromising your time.

• Encourage your entire team (including yourself) to add deadlines in their messages to clarify when they need a response from the recipient(s). Ending an email with “Please respond by the end of the week,” assesses the urgency of the email without making assumptions on the priority level.
• If an email has tasks associated with it, add them to your actual to-do list to avoid forgetting about it.
• Archive or move emails into specific folders right after you read them the first time; this keeps your inbox clean and makes emails easier to find in the future.

Bonus tips outside of your inbox:

• Pick 3 to 5 tasks that must get done and aim to finish them before EOD.
• Take a break every hour for several minutes by looking away from your screen or getting up and walking around.
• Set a timer to focus on a specific task for “X” minutes before moving on to a new task.
• Consider playing ambient music/sounds to help get in the zone.
• Exercise, eat healthy, and caffeinate properly.

Making Sure to Not Overwork Yourself

It’s common to want to go above and beyond at work; however, striving for perfection every time can create unnecessary pressure and stress. A couple of our recruiters offer their best advice to avoid feeling overwhelmed while working hard to provide top results.

“Try to maximize the efficiency of your calendar by jettisoning superfluous tasks and activities. Practice mindfulness and focus on the task at hand rather than worrying about everything that needs to be done.” – David Alford

“I used to try and accomplish as much as I could every day, and I still do. However, without picking the most important tasks, I would fall behind on certain items that needed to get done even though I was being productive. I am still guilty of this on occasion because I am not perfect, but not as often as I used to be. And as a result, I find myself making progress on projects that I used to procrastinate on, and that is a great feeling.” – Ben Farber

Tips For Growing into a Leadership Role

Stepping up to a new leadership role can feel daunting, but if you were given the chance to make that jump, remember that they want you to be there! Here are a few tips to succeed in your new role and be able to grow as an executive.

• Consider reaching out to an executive coach who can help you work on areas that need improvement.
• Learn how to delegate strategically.
• Trust others to take ownership of their projects.
• Practice what you preach. If you tell your employees to disconnect after the day or while on vacation, you should also be doing the same to avoid mixed messages.

Preparing for the Next Workday

Your workday will only be as good as how you prepare for it. From carrying over tasks from the previous day to practicing self-care after hours, our team has their own ways to make the following day easier for themselves.

“I take 3-5 minutes at the end of the day to look at my to-do list and reorganize and set the priority items for the next day, so when I get to the desk in the morning I can get right to work on the most important task.” – Jessa Farber

“At the end of each day, I go over upcoming assignments as well as marking down future deadlines and work on making sure progress is made in my daily tasks. This keeps me from missing deadlines and feeling stressed about not having enough time to complete a task. I also try my best to do something active every other morning, so my brain is energized and ready to tackle the day.” – Cash Podhurcak

“I prepare for the following day by taking care of myself and doing what I want to do. Relaxing with my wife, going to the gym, and cooking a meal are all great ways to recharge and reset.” – Alexander Dodge

Bonus: Our Favorite Tips from Our Newsletter Subscribers

• Prioritize up to three tasks that give the greatest ROI to start the morning, and review the results at the end of each day
• Delegate less time-sensitive tasks to appropriate staff members
• Break down and complete task list into bite-size chunks
• Only schedule meetings during down times, and limit them to 30-minutes maximum
• Use the end of the day to create a list of top-priority items for the following morning
• Reorganize and prioritize the most important tasks in your to-do list, and do this often

These are just a few ways our team stays on top of their game. Hopefully these insights can boost your leadership and productivity levels to stay focused and prepared in the new year.