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Ten Ways to improve productivity for Personal Assistants

Written by: Tianna Powell
Published on: 13 Feb 2015

Ten ways to improve productivity Staying productive at work can be a challenge and feeling unsatisfied with your day’s accomplishments can be a sinking experience. At SecsintheCity we advertise the latest PA jobs across all sectors and industries and provide top tips to our candidates. This article identifies our top techniques to help improve productivity for PAs at work.

1.    Setting deadlines to complete each task

It is easy to procrastinate and before you know it one task  takes all day because you’ve been  working on a number of jobs. Setting time limits on each task is a good way of avoiding this and will allow you to concentrate solely on the task at hand.

2.    Get the tedious tasks out the way first

Tianna Powell, a full time PA and Project Officer within the NHS,  previously worked for an organisation where every item paid for would have to be manually typed up in a spreadsheet then duplicated onto another computer… time consuming and repetitive! The more you put off arduous tasks the more work you have to do. By blocking out half a day in your diary at the end of the week to complete these tasks will give you more time to get on with the more exciting parts of your PA role...

3.    Take on some more tasks

You will be surprised how rapidly your productivity increases when you take on pieces of work that you feel are challenging and exciting. It really keeps you motivated. If you feel you have capacity, ask your employer for more challenging tasks that will grow your skills and PA experience.

 4.    When you are most productive?

Figuring out when you are most productive will help you organise yourself. Schedule your day so you can get the bulk of work done during your most productive hours so that once you start to slow down you can get on with tasks that require less brain power.

5.    Take regular breaks

When you feel yourself ‘switching off’ then it is time for a short break. This involves getting away from the desk for about 10 minutes for a coffee break, fresh air or even just organising some paperwork – avoiding the computer screen. These breaks make a huge difference to productivity and act as an energy booster. Going outside for lunch rather than eating at your desk can be helpful too..

6.    Keep a notebook on hand at all times

Having a system to keep on top of those ad-hoc requests is vital for personal assistants.  PAs often get random requests from a number of colleagues making it impossible to remember everything. Keeping a notebook to jot down any tasks can help you avoid making mistakes and allow you to prioritise your workload.

 7.    To do lists

A personal favourite - to do lists are undoubtedly the number one tool for productivity.

 8.    Systematise tasks as much as possible

There are a number of online tools, apps and other technologies to help you prioritise your workload. A key one is the Dictaphone which records (non-confidential) meetings for minute taking. Try to use systems to help automate as many tasks as possible. Microsoft Office is fantastic for diary management and filing emails.

9.    Learn to say no

This can be daunting and does take practice. As a PA and in your personal life, you just want to be as helpful as possible,  so it is tricky, but saying no will allow your time management and productivity to improve. You can organise yourself and concentrate on tasks one at a time.

10.  Work from home 

The virtual world of business is increasing and the option to work at home is much more common. We highly recommend home working simply for the lack of interruptions, which is the main cause of low productivity with Assistants. However, when working from home it is crucial to set and maintain healthy home working boundaries. 

To find out more about the art of concentration and managing your work priorities then visit our blog. If you’re ready to apply for your next PA job then search and apply for the latest roles on SecsintheCity today.