Unlocking The Secrets Of Productivity – From Busyness To True Performance
Updated: Nov 28, 2024
Written by Jacqueline Frost, CEO & Founder at Elevate Talent
Since 2016, Jacqueline has been dedicated to empowering and inspiring future female leaders, sharing her tips and strategies through Elevate, a global virtual programme where over 9000 women have graduated. She is the host of the Finding Your EPIC podcast and author of the Finding Your EPIC book, published in 2024.
Most of us would like to think of ourselves as high performers. Yet, we can often have the wrong idea about what performance means. Work is not performance. Performance is not activity. Being busy is not performance. Performance is not the amount of activity, and just being smart is not performance either. True performance is about achieving the right end result and reaching the desired outcome.
There are always ways to boost our performance to become more productive and achieve the right end result. However, a common hurdle is the perception of busyness. When people ask how we’re doing, the typical response is often some variation of “I’m busy.”
Rattling off reasons for our busyness might be justified, but it introduces negative self-talk and gives others the impression that we are inefficient. This perception can impact our careers and relationships negatively. Experts suggest that constantly expressing how busy we are might signal that we are not good at prioritising our time, implying that the person we’re communicating with isn’t a priority either.
Enhancing performance by making every minute count
It’s crucial to recognise that we all have 1,440 minutes each day. Since minutes matter significantly in workplace performance, it’s essential to make the best use of the time we have. But how can we ensure every minute counts?
The key to effectiveness lies in how we manage our time. In a world driven by efficiency, where speed is paramount, everyone wants a piece of our time, with everything needed to be done yesterday.
That’s why we need to be both efficient and effective. This means doing the right things and doing things in the right way to achieve the desired end results.
Adopting the 6F approach
A simple yet effective exercise to raise awareness about our time management involves adopting a 6F thinking approach:
Focus: Be aware of how you are currently using your time. Where is it going?
Frame: Define your priorities clearly. What do you need to focus on to achieve your goals?
Filter: Determine what doesn’t deserve your time and filter out distractions.
Fuel: Care about how you prioritise your time. If you don’t care, no one else will.
Flow: Ensure your tasks and activities align with your priorities and goals.
Finish: Dare to protect your time. Be honest with yourself about how easily and frequently you give it away, meaning you don’t get over that all-important finish line and make necessary adjustments.
By raising our awareness and applying these steps, we can move from merely being busy to achieving high performance, ensuring that our efforts lead to the right outcomes efficiently and effectively.
Curious to see where you stand. Take our Epic Career Quiz to find out!
Read more from Jacqueline Frost
Jacqueline Frost, CEO & Founder at Elevate Talent
Jacqueline is a recognized leader in female executive development and mentoring. While her background includes a significant tenure in investment banking, her passion lies in empowering women to excel in leadership roles. She started her mentoring journey in 2009, sharing invaluable strategies for navigating high-pressure environments. Realizing the transformative effect of these lessons, she founded Elevate in 2016. This global virtual leadership program has equipped over 9,000 women from 50 countries with the skills to lead and influence in diverse industries. Her vision is to make leadership development accessible to women worldwide.
