We have all been there. Looming deadlines, tight schedules and a vast amount of work to do with seemingly inadequate resources or manpower. Yet we somehow get it done or at least spectacularly fail while trying. Being productive is more about being organised than it is about planning. We all have different ways of channelling our inner productivity aura. For some, the illusion of chaos is an effective form of organisation (picture a disorganised desk and an equally disorganised desktop), while for some being super organised, neat and having a close attention to detail that borders on obsessive-compulsive disorder does the trick.
Ultimately, time is our greatest resource today, and maximising on the few hours we get has become increasingly essential.
This is our Most Productive People in Business issue – we sat down with some of the leading people in business to understand what makes them tick. What works for them might not necessarily work for you, but you never know until you try. Ultimately, you are the king or queen of your castle. In the spirit of being productive I have listed three elements that may just make you more efficient:
DELEGATING
More often than not we spend a lot of time doing tasks we could easily delegate to equally capable team members. The main aspect with delegating is simply ensuring the instructions are clear, and enough guidance and support is available. If you have spent time building the perfect team then trust them to get certain things done.
RECHARGE
Take a walk, go to the gym or even go for a jog. Sometimes we get so caught up in our busy schedules, we forget to actually give our bodies time to breath. Studies have shown how effective this is. As little as 15 minutes a day could have a massive influence on your health and psyche.
HARNESS THE TECH
Technology is meant to improve our lives and make us more efficient, NOT make our lives more complicated and (for some) unbearable. Harness technology and bend it to your will. Dropbox, Google Docs and Skype, among many others, are a few tools that can simplify your life. Choose what works for you and become efficient in this exciting tech era. There are a billion apps but you won’t need them all.
Our cover personality, Elon Musk, is one of the leading minds in tech globally. Much has been said about the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and major corporations are scurrying to get ahead in the race. The question is; how far can we go with AI and how will this affect the global landscape? Our cover story on page 20 investigates this.
There are no certainties in life, but the one certain thing I know and can feel is we are heading for interesting times from a tech perspective. Read, enjoy, deliberate and question, but above all, take something away from this edition.