Solve productivity issues with the 5 Whys
Parent Post
We all strive to
We all strive to be more productive.
Being productive means being smarter about how you spend your time and getting more done in less time. Take on high-impact projects instead of spending time on unimportant, time-consuming tasks.
When your productivity takes a nosedive, it adds stress and anxiety. Understanding why your productivity is flailing will help you get back on track.
What are “time wasters”
What are “time wasters” and how do you avoid them?
Even with a clear understanding of the root causes of your productivity problem, time-wasters can consume your time and derail your progress.
For example, social media can be a delightful break for your brain, but sometimes you fall a rabbit hole of incessant scrolling.
The result? You’re under even more time pressure and further away from achieving your goals.
Forever planning: Notice
- Forever planning: Notice yourself overdoing the planning process? Break down your planning into manageable goals by week, month, or quarter.
- Distractions: It’s natural to seek a mental break by browsing social media or watching videos. But time-block your social media scrolling and stick to it!
- Constant interruptions: Push notifications force you to switch context whenever you hear that tell-tale ping. Change your settings to ensure you aren’t distracted.
If your productivity has
If your productivity has taken a dip, the 5 Whys method can help you dig deep and get to the root cause of the problem.
This will help you avoid distractions and get more done in less time.
Step 3: Address the
Step 3: Address the root cause of the issue
Having established the root cause of your low productivity, you can set countermeasures to avoid feeling blocked and distracted by the pressure of these goals.
For example:
- Speak with your manager about setting achievable goals or revisit the goals you set at the beginning of the quarter.
- Align with your team about communication norms so you don’t feel under pressure to check your email constantly.
What is the 5
What is the 5 Whys method, and how can it help you?
The idea is simple: ask “why” 5 times until you get to the root cause of your issue. It’s similar to a kid who exasperates their parents by continually repeating “why”, but the benefits can be transformative!
The goal of the 5 Whys problem-solving method is to reach the root cause of an issue faster and drill down to countermeasures.
Step 4: Tackle secondary
Step 4: Tackle secondary factors
Address secondary factors of your productivity issues. Social media is another common contributing factor, but there are ways to reduce its impact:
- Get motivated to change your habits by measuring your social media time.
- Turn off notifications and set time blockers on your social media so that you can only access your accounts during certain times or for a limited amount of time every day.
- Apps like Offtime block distracting apps like social media. Or Flipd can block your phone for a predetermined amount of time, so you cannot access it while you’re busy with work or family.
Here’s how to squash
Here’s how to squash 6 common time wasters.
- Meetings with no agenda: We’ve all been there: stuck in a Zoom room while the agenda drifts off course! Instead, set a clear goal or agenda to guide your meetings and make them more productive.
- Wasting time on busy work: Busy work is time-consuming and has little valuable output. Look at where you can refine processes to reduce busy work.
- Poor communication: When you don’t convey information clearly, you cost yourself time. Work on crafting an email that is succinct and direct.
Step 1: Define the
Step 1: Define the problem
Your goal is to find the root of your productivity issues.
Your starting point is defining the problem: “I’m always busy, but I don’t feel productive with my time.”
Step 2: Ask why
Step 2: Ask why 5 times
Rephrase the problem you’ve just defined as a “Why” question.
WHY 1: Why am I always busy, but I don’t feel productive with my time?”
WHY 2: Why do I get distracted easily by email?
WHY 3: Why am I constantly tempted to check my email rather than work on important projects?
WHY 4: Why do I want to be very responsive?
WHY 5: Why don’t I want to miss an important email and have urgent messages sitting unread?