At the end of last year, Harvard Business Review released its compilation of top management tips in paperback and e-book format. The book, available for purchase at the Harvard Business Review website, offers a series of insight tips on a myriad of things that can help you better manage your life and your business, from how to increase productivity and motivation to getting things done and prioritizing.
Well, if you don’t have the time to read the book, we would like to present you with a short overview of some of the most interesting and helpful tips and tricks proposed by the Harvard Business Review. Eager to improve your management skills? Why not start with the useful tips offered below? Let’s take a look at the countdown.
No. 5: Accomplish at least 3 task by lunchtime
If you’re not a morning person, doing anything at all before noon might seems like an impossible mission, but statistics show how people who make a habit our of tackling their tasks early on are more productive and efficient. The Harvard Business Review recommends that we try to get at least 3 things done by noon; in this way, we’ll be able to enjoy our lunch break even more, knowing that we have actually accomplished something that morning.
No. 4: Divide and conquer
Handling a big project doesn’t necessarily have to be arduous, if you know how to organize yourself. HBR recommends that we divide projects into smaller pieces, tackling the hardest and the longest ones first. In this way, the intensity of your work will diminish along the way, helping preserve the energy and stamina you need to wrap the whole thing up.
No. 3: If you don’t have it, pretend like you do
Depending on how we use it, our minds can be our greatest friend or our biggest foe. Most people put themselves down by over thinking and excessive worrying. Does my boss like me? Do my coworkers respect me? Will I finish the project in time? The list of examples can go on and on, but you get the picture. Instead of worrying needlessly, try to act with confidence and imagine that you already have the things you want and need. These might only be fantasies, but they will certainly give you the power to push forward and actually achieve what you desire.
No. 2: Quality over quantity
Instead of going into the multi-tasking vs. single-tasking debate, HBR provides a different way to efficiently solve more than one task. Their advice suggests prioritizing tasks according to their value and importance. For example, tasks that have a greater importance should be handled first and should receive most of your focus and attention. All others can simply be postponed until you have more free time.
No. 1: Reserve time for yourself
And we’re not talking about going for a massage or spending an evening watching the Friends marathon. HBR recommends that each and every one schedule a weekly meeting with ourselves. Regardless of how busy you are, you can always find an hour to sit down and think about recent events, such as opportunities, missed chances, encounters with others, or conflicts. Think about what went well, what went wrong, or how you could have improved the outcome. These weekly meeting can provide invaluable insight about how our lives are going and what we need to do to make it better.
