Imagine yourself having one of those days where you can't get anything done. You have an ever-growing to-do list, an infinite amount of ad hoc requests, and you can't seem to just sit down and power through them all. You keep telling yourself, "maybe I need a small snack" and find yourself doing this:
Sound familiar? Stranger Things have happened to you, I'm sure.
.
But you don't have to visit the Upside Down or gain super powers to jumpstart your productivity. Here are our top five tips to help slay that Demogorgon of laziness and check off your tasks as "complete" in no time. (Warning, there are a few SPOILERS in this post!)
1. Make meetings more effective
Like our favorite group of friends in Stranger Things, always leave a meeting with an action item. Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Mike always left a meeting knowing exactly what their role was and what they were going to do next. Sometimes, taking time off from meetings gives people time to actually get those action items done. Make it company policy to have one mandatory meeting-free day across every team, so all your employees have at least eight hours per week to really focus on what needs to get done.
2. Stock the office with healthy snacks
Sure, candy and Eggos are the go-to for Eleven, but high-sugar foods cause energy crashes and ruin productivity. Spend the few extra dollars to stock your fridge with healthier snacks that boost productivity like vegetables, nuts, low-sugar smoothies, and complex carbs that won’t send your workers on a roller coaster of sugar highs and lows.
3. Set a time limit for your breaks
Your coworkers might be taking a long lunch, but that doesn't mean you have to join them. Barb made the mistake by staying at Steve's house with the cool kids instead of taking off and going home. Listen to your instincts and if you know you have a lot to get done, set a time limit for your breaks so you're not suddenly having to rush to complete an assignment.
4. Adopt a collaboration tool
Sure, those walkie talkies looked awesome, but were they the most efficient way to communicate? Stop searching for a clear frequency through conference calls and email and adopt a collaboration tool that allows you to organize all your projects in a central location. Having a repository for all discussions and files is especially helpful for when you want to go back and see how to improve or replicate successful processes.
5. Praise a job well done
The Stranger Things clan was never shy about showing their appreciation and love for one another. Whether you're a manager or not, a pat on the back might just be the encouragement a peer needs to get through their day. Starting a peer referral program or plan a celebratory happy hour after work to encourage motivation and collaboration across your team. Not to mention, something to look forward to after all that hard work.
Now you have the tools, go out there and take your productivity to Eleven!
What other productivity tips did you learn from watching Stranger Things?
Don't be a stranger, share your tips and tricks in the comments.
