50 ways to work faster

Posted on 25 Nov 2009 at 13:31

41. TO-DO LISTS

It sounds simple, but if you really want to save time spend a few minutes writing a to-do list at the beginning of each day. It’s quick and easy and can potentially save you hours. Split tasks into ones that can be completed quickly, in say less than five minutes, and those that will take a bit longer. Concentrate on getting the big jobs done, but whenever there’s a break in what you’re working on – waiting for a file to download or a document to be printed out, for example – use the time to cross one of the small jobs off the list.

42. REMOVE DISTRACTIONS

If you really want to get the job done, remove distractions from your work PC. That means no iTunes, no MP3s and absolutely no games. If you can’t dedicate a whole computer to work, set up a new user account, prune back your desktop icons to the work-related ones, and use parental controls to restrict access to games or time-sapping websites.

43. BULK OUT YOUR BOOKMARKS

It might be tempting to rely on Google, but whenever you happen upon a useful website, make sure to add it to your bookmarks. And don’t worry about losing bookmarks in a complicated mash of folders – both Firefox and Google Chrome are excellent at digging out unfiled bookmarks. Simply enter a keyword, page title or part of the URL into the address bar and it should find that saved site.

44. BAN UNNECESSARY ATTACHMENTS

How many times do you receive documents as attachments, where the contents could have been easily cut and pasted into the email itself? Not only do you have to waste a few seconds opening said attachment, but often those reading their email on a mobile device won’t be able to easily open the document – if at all. Therefore, meeting minutes that could have been signed off on a train journey into the office have to wait an hour or so until the person arrives back in the office. Ban email attachments in your office, unless they’re absolutely necessary.

45. USE A LAPTOP DOCKING STATION

If you have a laptop as your main work PC, it makes sense to invest in a docking station. This means you can leave peripherals such as an external keyboard, mouse, external hard disk and monitor plugged in and ready to go as soon as you redock the laptop. The Toshiba Dynadock is a decent alternative to the expensive ones sold by PC makers.

46. DON’T IGNORE UPDATES

Yes, updates are a pain and can actually get in the way of your work when the software demands a reboot before it can apply an update. But both driver and application updates are generally worthwhile, especially with new hardware/software, as they often iron out bugs and stability issues. Getting the latest drivers for your laptop’s wireless card, for instance, can hugely improve reliability and connection speeds. Make sure you set a System Restore point before any major upgrade (Windows will do this automatically for most big updates) and set the patches to download and install as you’re heading out to lunch, so that they have minimal impact on the business-end of the day.

47. DON’T USE THE DESKTOP AS A DUMPING GROUND

Windows desktops that are cluttered with a gazillion documents, icons and shortcuts are a productivity disaster. If your work PC is networked to a hosted desktop server, the Windows desktop is pulled from the server every time you log in – and will take longer if the desktop is weighed down with dozens of files. Even if you’re not using a hosted desktop, reserve the space for the most vital files and shortcuts.

48. EMPLOY A FORM FILLER

In the good old days we used to hire YTS trainees to perform boring tasks. In these dark recessionary days, we’re now forced to rely on software. The powerful Roboform is an excellent form-filler: not only does it securely store all your website logins and passwords (unlike Firefox, which leaves them easily exposed to anyone who can access your PC), but it automatically fills in those irritatingly long shipping address forms used by web retailers. It isn’t flawless – you’ll sometimes need to make minor corrections to address forms when Roboform gets confused by towns and counties, for example. Nevertheless, it’s a damned sight quicker than entering data into each form by hand.

49. AUTO-START FAVOURITE SITES

If you always go straight to the same few sites at the start of a session, your browser can be set to open them all in separate tabs at startup. In Internet Explorer, open Internet Options, General, and type each URL on a separate line in the homepage box. In Firefox, first open all the tabs you want, then go to Options, Main and in the Startup field click Use Current Pages. In Chrome, go to Options, Basics and enter your favourites one by one in the startup box. Next time you start your browser, they’ll all appear on cue. Avoid any sites that require prior login, such as webmail.

50. BUY AN EBOOK READER

If your job requires you to wade through hundreds of documents on a harsh LCD screen, then it may be worth investing in an eBook reader. Although expensive – typically, around £180 – eBook readers mimic the look of words on paper so that even a lengthy spell with a big document won’t send you away rubbing red eyes. The next generation, such as the Sony Reader Touch, even feature the ability to search text and add notes.