In this article we’re going to discuss: 

▶  What you can do today if your team is drowning in unfinished tasks and missed deadlines.

▶  Proven productivity strategies to boost output and curb procrastination.

▶  How you can tackle profit losses due to inefficient work processes.

▶ Techniques you can use to maximize your workers' productivity.

In this article, we've compiled a comprehensive list of 17 productivity management to guide your team towards peak productivity. But even with these strategies in place, you still need accurate data to measure performance and ensure efficiency is truly improving.

Discover how Insightful's remote employee productivity monitoring software works alongside these techniques to provide real-time insights into your team's performance.

Ready to stop leaving money on the table and start maximizing your team's potential?
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1. Streamline Your Life with the Bullet Journal

The Bullet Journal, or BoJo, is a flexible system for organizing tasks and goals at a team level. It helps managers coach their teams to stay organized and focused by providing a customizable method to track tasks, events, and notes all in one place. This adaptable approach can be used to manage team projects, deadlines, and objectives efficiently.

Example: In a team Bullet Journal, we create daily logs listing tasks, events, and notes for the entire team. For today, we might have tasks like 'Complete project proposal,' 'Conduct team meeting,' and 'Review marketing strategy.'

Who it’s best for: Teams who need a personalized way to manage their tasks and goals, like creative groups, teams with varied responsibilities, or any group looking to get more organized in their own way.

Want to know more? Check out our article on how to create a Bullet Journal.
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2. Visualize Progress with a Kanban Method

The Kanban Method is a visual system for managing and improving team workflow. It helps optimize our processes and increase efficiency by providing a clear, visual representation of our team's progress. We use a board with columns representing different stages of tasks, such as "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done." Team tasks are represented by cards that move through the columns as they progress.

Example: We create a Kanban board with columns for "Backlog," "In Progress," "Review," and "Complete." As our team works on tasks, we move the corresponding cards across the board, giving us a clear visual representation of our workflow.

Who it's best for: The Kanban Method is ideal for teams who need to visualize their workflow, identify bottlenecks, and continuously improve their processes. It's particularly useful for projects with many tasks or those requiring collaboration among team members.

Want to know more? Check out our comprehensive guide on implementing the Kanban Method for your projects.

Pro Tip: Tools like Insightful's include project management integrations with staff tracking and digital Kanban boards, allowing you to visualize and optimize their team's workflow in real-time. This employee monitoring software makes it easy to track progress across distributed teams and identify bottlenecks quickly.

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3. Deep Work to Unlock Peak Performance

Do Deep Work is all about our team diving into tasks with complete concentration, avoiding distractions and shallow work. This technique helps us achieve high-quality results by staying focused and dramatically increasing our productivity on complex tasks.

Example: From 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, our team focuses entirely on writing the project proposal, turning off all notifications and setting our phones to Do Not Disturb to avoid any interruptions. 

Who it’s best for: Do Deep Work is great for anyone needing to tackle important tasks that require intense focus, like teams working on complex projects, writers, developers, or anyone aiming to produce significant work without distractions.

Want to know more? Ready to combat distractions in the workplace? Find out how to Do Deep Work in our detailed article.

Pro Tip: Insightful's advanced analytics, capable of tracking productivity for remote workers, can help identify periods of deep work within your team. By analyzing productivity patterns, you can protect these crucial focus times and maximize team output. This data-driven approach ensures your team's most important work gets the uninterrupted attention it needs.
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4. Overcome Procrastination with the 10 Minutes Rule

The 10 Minutes Rule helps teams overcome procrastination by committing to just ten minutes on a task. It boosts team productivity by lowering the barrier to starting tasks, making it easier to build momentum and complete work.

Example: At 2:00 PM, we set a timer and spend ten minutes organizing our shared project files. Once the timer goes off, we often feel motivated to keep going and finish the task together.

Who it’s best for: This rule is perfect for teams who have trouble starting tasks, like groups facing big projects, creative teams needing to begin their work, or any team wanting to break through procrastination and make progress together.

Want to know more? Check out our article to start applying the 10 Minutes Rule to your tasks.
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5. Master Prioritization Through ABCDE 

The ABCDE Method is a prioritization technique that helps you focus on the most important tasks. It boosts your productivity by ensuring you always tackle high-impact work first, maximizing your efficiency and output. It involves categorizing tasks into five levels: A (most important), B (important), C (nice to do), D (delegate), and E (eliminate).

Example: We review our team's to-do list and assign each task a letter from A to E. "A" tasks are the most critical and must be completed today, while "E" tasks can be eliminated. We then focus on completing our "A" tasks first.

Who it's best for: The ABCDE Method is perfect for anyone who struggles with prioritizing tasks or tends to procrastinate on important work. It's especially useful for professionals with many responsibilities or those who want to ensure they're always working on the most crucial tasks. 

Want to know more? Read our in-depth article on mastering the ABCDE Method for better task prioritization.

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6. Leverage the 80/20 Rule for Maximum Impact

The 80/20 Rule, or Pareto Principle, is about focusing on the tasks that have the biggest impact. It supercharges your team’s productivity by helping identify and concentrate on the activities that yield the most significant results. It suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts, so by concentrating on those high-impact activities, your team can boost their productivity. 

Example: From 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, we work on the top 20% of tasks that drive 80% of our project's success, like key client meetings and critical project milestones.

Who it’s best for: The 80/20 Rule is great for people who want to work smarter, not harder, like business professionals managing key projects, entrepreneurs focusing on growth, or anyone who wants to achieve more by concentrating on what really matters.

Want to know more? Find out how to apply the Pareto Principle by checking out our blog.

Pro Tip: Insightful's detailed activity reports and employee analytics show exactly where your team's time is being spent. This insight helps you identify the 20% of activities driving 80% of your results, allowing you to optimize resource allocation and boost overall productivity.

7. Harness Your Biological Prime Time

Biological Prime Time means your team does their most important work when they have the most energy. It maximizes productivity and allows your team to accomplish more with less effort. By working during peak times, your team can get more done and stay focused.

Example: Our team's energy peaks from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, so we schedule our toughest tasks, like strategic planning and problem-solving, during these hours.

Who it’s best for: This method is great for teams wanting to make the most of their natural energy highs, like professionals working on key projects, creatives with big ideas, or anyone looking to be more productive by working when they feel most energized.

Want to know more? Check out our article to find out how to discover your team’s Biological Prime Time.

Pro Tip: With Insightful's comprehensive data tracking and remote employee productivity management tools, you can pinpoint when your team members are most productive. This allows you to schedule high-priority tasks during peak performance times, potentially leading to significant productivity gains. Some companies using this approach have seen productivity increases of up to 21%.

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8. Boost Productivity with a Not-to-Do List

The Not-to-Do List is a strategy for identifying and steering clear of activities that drain your team’s time and energy. It supercharges efficiency by helping cut out unproductive habits and interruptions, freeing your team up to concentrate on tasks that truly move the needle. This approach ensures team efforts are directed towards what's genuinely important.

Example: Our team's Not-to-do List includes avoiding social media during work hours, not checking emails first thing in the morning, and skipping unnecessary meetings.

Who it’s best for: The Not-to-Do List is perfect for teams looking to cut out distractions and bad habits, such as those aiming to stay focused on key tasks, needing to streamline their schedules, or anyone wanting to boost their productivity by eliminating time-wasters.

Want to know more? Ready to eliminate those pesky distractions? Follow our detailed guide on the Not-to-Do List.

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9. Conquer Your Inbox with Inbox Zero

Inbox Zero is a method to keep your team’s email inbox empty so they can avoid distractions. It dramatically improves productivity by reducing email-related stress and freeing up mental space for more important tasks. By managing emails efficiently, your team can focus on more important tasks without constant interruptions.

Example: At the start and end of each day, we spend 15 minutes sorting our team emails—responding to urgent ones and organizing the rest into folders or task lists. This helps keep our inboxes clear.

Who it’s best for: Inbox Zero is great for teams who feel overwhelmed by emails, like busy professionals who need to stay organized, executives handling lots of communication, or anyone who wants fewer distractions to stay focused on their work.

Want to know more? Check out our article on how to achieve Inbox Zero in no time.

Pro Tip: Insightful's employee analytics system can track time spent on email, helping you identify if inbox management is a significant time sink for your team. This data can justify implementing Inbox Zero techniques and measure their impact on overall productivity.

10. The Ivy Lee Method for Daily Clarity

The Ivy Lee Method involves listing the six most important tasks for the next day in order of priority. This simple approach significantly increases productivity by ensuring your team tackles high-priority tasks first, reducing decision fatigue and helping them focus on what matters most. It helps your team start each day with a clear plan.

Example: At the end of our workday, we write down our top six team tasks for tomorrow, such as "Finish project proposal," "Call key client," "Review budget report," "Plan team meeting," "Respond to urgent emails," and "Draft marketing plan," prioritizing them in order of importance. 

Who it’s best for: The Ivy Lee Method is perfect for teams who want a simple yet effective way to prioritize their tasks, such as busy executives, project managers, or anyone looking to get more done by focusing on the most important tasks each day.

Want to know more? Read our article and find out how to make the Ivy Lee Method work for you.

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11. The Now Habit for Better Work-Life Balance

The Now Habit or Unscheduling helps your team overcome procrastination by scheduling leisure time first. This counterintuitive approach boosts overall productivity by reducing stress and creating a more balanced schedule. By ensuring your team has time for enjoyable activities, they’re more likely to tackle work tasks with renewed energy and focus.

Example: We start by blocking out time for personal leisure activities. Then, we fit our work tasks around these activities, such as "Write report from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM" and "Attend meeting from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM."

Who it’s best for: The Now Habit/Unscheduling is ideal for teams struggling with procrastination and burnout, like professionals wanting to reduce work stress, creatives needing better work-life balance, or anyone wanting to boost productivity by making time for both work and fun.

Want to know more? Ready to start unscheduling? Check out our article on the Now Habit to get started.

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12. Build Habits with the Seinfeld Method

The Seinfeld Method, also known as Don't Break the Chain, is a productivity trick where you build a streak of successful days by setting and completing daily goals. This technique amplifies your team’s productivity by leveraging the power of habit formation and the psychological satisfaction of maintaining a streak. It's all about building consistency and momentum by keeping your team’s streak going. 

Example: Each day, we set a goal for our team to work on our main project for 2 hours. After completing this task, we mark an "X" on our team calendar. Our aim is to keep the chain of "X"s going without breaking it. 

Who it’s best for: The Seinfeld Method is great for teams looking to build consistent habits, like writers wanting a daily writing routine, professionals working on long-term projects, or anyone aiming to boost productivity by maintaining a daily streak of completed tasks.

Want to know more? Ready to master your productivity like a pro? Find out how in our article on the Seinfeld Method.

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13. Spotlight Method for Laser-Like Focus

The Spotlight Method involves fully engaging with one task at a time. This approach dramatically improves productivity by eliminating multitasking and allowing your team to achieve a state of deep focus. It helps your team give their full attention to each task, improving your work quality and cutting down on distractions.

Example: From 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, our team will select one task to work on, turning off all notifications and avoiding multitasking to stay deeply engaged with the task.

Who it’s best for: The Spotlight Method is perfect for teams who need to improve focus and produce high-quality work, like professionals handling complex tasks, creatives working on detailed projects, or anyone looking to boost productivity by concentrating fully on one task at a time.

Want to know more? Ready to get laser-focused? Check out our article and start using the Spotlight Method on your workflow.

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14. The Final Version to Beat Perfectionism

The Final Version is a technique where your team works on tasks as if they are creating the final version to reduce procrastination. This method significantly increases productivity by eliminating the tendency to perfectionism and helping your team complete tasks more efficiently. It helps your team maintain high standards from the start and avoid constant revisions.

Example: When we start writing a report, our team approaches it as if it's the final version, focusing on clarity and detail right away, which helps us avoid procrastination and get the task done efficiently. 

Who it’s best for: The Final Version is great for teams who tend to procrastinate or get stuck in endless revisions, like professionals needing to produce polished work quickly, writers aiming for high-quality drafts, or anyone looking to complete tasks more effectively by treating them as the final product from the beginning.

Want to know more? Read our article on how to work as if you were working on the Final Version and stop cycles of procrastination. 

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15. Elevate Consistency via the Checklist Manifesto 

The Checklist Manifesto is a powerful productivity technique that uses checklists to ensure consistency, thoroughness, and accuracy in completing tasks. This method significantly boosts team productivity by reducing errors, saving time on recurring tasks, and keeping important details from slipping through the cracks. By creating detailed checklists for recurring tasks or complex projects, you'll streamline your team’s workflow and improve overall efficiency.

Example: Before starting a new project, our team creates a checklist that includes all the necessary steps, such as "Conduct research," "Create outline," "Write draft," "Revise and edit," and "Submit final version." As we work through the project, we check off each item to ensure we don't miss any crucial steps.

Who it's best for: The Checklist Manifesto is ideal for teams who need to maintain high standards of quality and consistency in their work. It's also useful for anyone who wants to streamline their work processes and minimize mistakes. 

Want to know more? Discover how to create effective checklists and boost your productivity with our guide on The Checklist Manifesto.

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16. Blend Digital & Analog with the Medium Method

The Medium Method is about using both digital and paper tools to manage team tasks. This approach optimizes productivity by leveraging the strengths of both digital and analog systems, allowing your team to capture and process information in the most effective way for different types of tasks. This way, you get the best of both worlds and stay flexible and organized.

Example: We use a digital calendar to schedule team meetings and deadlines and keep a physical board for daily to-do lists and brainstorming sessions. This combo helps us stay on top of things and capture ideas in different ways.

Who it’s best for: The Medium Method is great for teams who like using both tech and paper, like professionals juggling multiple projects, creatives who love brainstorming on paper, or anyone wanting a balanced way to manage their tasks.

Want to know more? Check out our detailed article to get started with the Medium Method.

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17. Tackle What Matters with MITs

MITs (Most Important Tasks) is a technique where your team focuses on a few critical tasks each day. This approach helps them make significant progress on their most crucial work, even on hectic days. By identifying and tackling these key tasks, your team can achieve meaningful results and stay on top of their priorities. 

Example: Every morning, our team picks our top three MITs, like "Complete project proposal," "Call key client," and "Prepare presentation," and these become our main focus for the day.

Who it’s best for: MITs are perfect for teams wanting to boost productivity by concentrating on essential tasks, like busy professionals with tight deadlines, executives prioritizing high-impact work, or anyone aiming to get their most important goals done each day.

Want to know more? Get started on your Most Important Tasks by following our detailed guide.

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The Easiest Way to Implement Your Favorite Productivity Strategy

Whether you're implementing the Kanban Method or leveraging the 80/20 Rule, Insightful's workforce analytics software provides the data you need to optimize your team's productivity.

Take FatCat Coders as an example, a software development firm who used Insightful's productivity monitoring tools to optimize their team's workload. This approach helped them increase productivity above 90% and transition to a six-hour workday.

Start your 7-day risk-free trial now and discover how data-driven insights can elevate your team's performance.

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