Top 5 Productivity Tips for Work!

Hey friends! Welcome back to the channel. In this article, I'm sharing my top five productivity tips for work, using specific examples from my day job so you can clearly see how they work in practice.

Productivity Tip #1: Steal with Pride

Chances are you have a colleague who creates beautiful presentations, a manager who maintains a super clean spreadsheet, and a teammate who writes really effective emails. Steal those with pride. In my work Google Drive, I literally have a folder called "to reference" where I save presentations, spreadsheets, and documents that I might need to use in the future.

Pro Tip: If you use PowerPoint or Google Slides, you can make a copy of only selected slides and remove all the speaker notes. This saves so much time since you never have to start from scratch. Show your appreciation by giving credit to the original creator even when you steal with pride.

Productivity Tip #2: Template All the Things

Notion users are probably familiar with the template feature where you can generate a pre-built page with a single click. This can save a lot of time since you don't need to create the same section headers and checklists over and over again.

I manage a budget spreadsheet that needs to be updated regularly. I took 30 minutes two years ago to create its structure, so now I just right-click and make a duplicate template tab at the beginning of every quarter.

Pro Tip: Include a "read me" or "start here" tab so new joiners don't bother you with annoying questions. The template lives on even if you leave the team.

Productivity Tip #3: Automation for the Win

In my budget spreadsheet, cells update automatically based on inputs from below. For context, I'm responsible for reporting these top-level numbers to leadership. My colleagues input their budget forecasts, and I use formulas like SUMIF, features like data validation, and conditional formatting to semi-automate the input process.

Pro Tip: If you copy and paste a table from Google Sheets to Google Slides, you can link it to the spreadsheet. This way, if a number changes in the original table, you can simply click "update" without having to reformat or create a new slide.

Productivity Tip #4: Don't Be the Weak Link

Always organize information by where you will use it, not by where you found it. I reserve a space within project documents to add relevant links for easy access. For example, links in a spreadsheet overview tab, on the first page of slides, or in a separate section on the first page of documents.

Pro Tip: If your project involves multiple documents, like to track action items, ensure they're all linked. Bookmark and hyperlink whenever appropriate. In Google Docs, you can type @ and the file name to quickly link it.

Productivity Tip #5: Make Pre-Reads Great Again

Meetings already take up a lot of our time. Ensure something productive happens by using pre-reads. Pre-reads don't have to be boring or long. Usually, one sentence around the context, one on the objective, and sometimes a third sentence on why the meeting will benefit attendees.

If you are a meeting participant and don't receive a pre-read email or see a clear agenda, protect your own time by challenging the meeting owner.

Pro Tip: Make sure your pre-read has at least a context sentence, an objective sentence, and optionally, why the meeting will benefit attendees.

I have more tips like these for work, so let me know if you want more. Have a great one!

Keywords

Productivity
Steal with pride
Templates
Automation
Organize information
Pre-reads

FAQ

Q: How can I save time when creating new presentations? A: Steal with pride by reusing slides from presentations you or your colleagues have already made. Always give credit to the original creator.

Q: What should I do if I have repetitive tasks to complete? A: Create templates for these tasks to save time in the long run. For example, template a monthly recap email or a budget spreadsheet.

Q: How can I automate my work processes? A: Use formulas like SUMIF, data validation, and conditional formatting to automate input processes in spreadsheets. Link tables from Google Sheets to Slides for easy updates.

Q: What is the best way to organize project-related links? A: Reserve spaces within project documents to add relevant links. For example, use an overview tab in spreadsheets, the first page of slides, and a separate section on the first page of documents.

Q: How can I ensure that meetings are productive? A: Use pre-reads. Write a sentence around the meeting context, one on the objective, and sometimes why it benefits the attendees. If you don't see a pre-read, challenge the meeting owner for one.