Produtividade é essencial para qualquer profissional. Mesmo sabendo que haverá dias mais e menos produtivos, temos de entender as causas da baixa produtividade crônica – e o que você pode fazer para resolver isso. Hoje vamos ver, em inglês, duas causas: Internet/Redes Sociais (inclua whatsapp na sua reflexão) e Conversas Paralelas (no escritório ou em casa, se trabalha em home office) – e não são só as presenciais: as conversas virtuais também roubam muito tempo. Mas cuidado: sabemos que quase todos os “ladrões do tempo” são ações que você gosta, precisa e deve continuar realizando para ser feliz! Gestão do tempo e produtividade normalmente têm a ver com eliminar o exagero. Esse são os pontos de atenção destacados pela autora do livro How To Be More Productive, Stephanie Davis.

The Internet and Social Media

How many times a day do you pick up your phone or open your browser to see what’s happening in the world via the internet and social media? Often, you probably aren’t fully aware of what you are doing and just scrolling out of boredom and habit, without truly processing the information you’re looking at. These little breaks can hurt your productivity more than you think. The good news is, there are easy ways to combat it.

To be aware of : Knowing that something exists, or having knowledge or experience of a particular thing. Estar consciente de. People are becoming more aware of the environmental issues. Always be aware of the speed you are driving.

Truly : Used to say something that is sincere or honest. Sinceramente. Although we have different opinions on the project, I truly believe he is a good coworker. She truly thought she was going to get the job, but unfortunately she did not.

1. Set a timer.
Give yourself a set amount of time to work on a task and then schedule a 5-minute web/social break.

2. Set up website blocker.
There are several website blockers that you can use to stop yourself from checking out your favorite sites. You can set a temporary blocker to prevent you from straying from the task at hand.

To stray from: To start thinking or talking about a different subject from the one you should be giving attention to. Desviar-se. I think our supervisor strayed from the subject of the meeting. We’ve strayed far from the original idea, but our new office decoration is looking great!

3. Move your phone.
If your biggest downfall comes from using your phone, whether it’s mindlessly scrolling or answering text messages, move your phone away from you (for a while) . You can put it in a drawer, a bag, another room, anything to keep you from reaching for it. Out of sight often means out of mind.

Downfall: Something that causes a person to fail or lose power. Perdição. Football is his biggest downfall, so we need to keep an eye on him while he is doing his homework.

All of the Chatting

1. Smart Meetings
There is nothing employees find more frustrating than attending a meeting to find out it could have been handled with an email. If you’re leading a meeting, make sure that you’re going in prepared, with an agenda and a plan to keep everyone on task, and an established goal to ensure that your time together is productive in its own way. It’s not only good practice for productivity, but it shows respect for other people’s time too.

2. Use your words, selectively
Popping by a coworker’s cube or office to ask a question or check in on their weekend may be common practice, but it’s also a common productivity stopper. If the discussion isn’t urgent and you’re deep in the zone, politely tell your coworker that you’re trying to power through something on your to-do list and while you’d love to chat more, ask if they can meet a little later. Your coworkers aren’t mind readers and won’t always know when you’re focused, but as long as you handle it the right way, they will be happy to save the conversation for a more appropriate time.

To be deep in the zone: Thinking intensively, deep concentration. – Estar extremamente concentrado. I needed to talk to Joey but he was deep in the zone studying for his test, I will text him later.

To power through: To continue in a strong and determined way until the end of something, even when this is difficult. We are very late on this presentation, so we need to power through during his week if we want to deliver on time.

Adaptado de: How To Be More Productive By Stephanie Davis.

Escrito por Rosangela Souza e publicado na coluna semanal de inglês da Revista Exame. Editado para o blog da Companhia de Idiomas.

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