Top Productivity Skills For Guaranteed Success In The 21st Century

What is Productivity skill?

How often have you heard these questions

• How do I improve my productivity?
• How do I deal with low productivity levels of my team?
• How do I get a better work life balance?
• How do I ensure my career success?
• How do I focus on one task at a time?

What Productivity is NOT

The conventional wisdom says – productivity is about getting more done in less time.

Most people run through their lives trying to put as many ticks as possible on their to-do list. That approach has failed us.

‘How to do more in less time’ is a myth. You cannot do more than you can do.

What Productivity Actually IS

Productivity skill is the ability to do what you do better!

If you are employed, you trade time for money. As you grow your skills, the returns per hour usually gets better. As you grow your career, you acquire various skills – technical /non-technical to improve that rate of return.

Very simply put, Productivity skill is increasing the value of your time.

Improving productivity skills needs one critical thing – knowing where to invest! Productivity experts often talk about the importance of investing in yourself, and for good reason. After all, you are the most valuable tool you have.

Being productive isn’t just about working harder or faster. It’s also about working smarter, and scaling yourself.

Productivity is not about doing more things; it is about doing more of the right things.

In this post, let us dive into some of the top productivity skills that could catapult your career to dizzying heights.

Enhance Productivity: Top Productivity Skills For The 21st century

1. The Ability to use AI /Technology effectively

In today’s career landscape, being able to use technology effectively can be the difference between success and failure. With the way work is changing, those who can’t leverage technology will find their careers stuck.

This doesn’t mean that you need to be a tech expert; rather, it means being able to use technology as a tool to enhance your productivity.

For example, if you’re a writer, you might use an AI writing assistant / SEO tools & techniques/ WordPress plugins your articles to rank quicker. Or, if you’re a salesperson, you might use customer relationship management software to track your leads and deals.

If you are manager of a large team, it might mean using project management software to streamline tasks and communication.

The bottom line is that using technology effectively to enhance productivity of yourself and your teams.

Working with Artificial Intelligence based technology will not be a bonus, it will be a basic requirement of the 21st century workforce!

2. The Ability to manage time effectively

Effective time management will be an increasingly important skill in the 21st century. With ever more demands on our time, it is crucial to be able to prioritize and use our time efficiently in order to get the most important things done.

The number of distractions we face on a daily basis is also increasing, making it even more difficult to focus and stay on task. Managing distractions & ability to stay focused are dimensions of the same skill.

Time management skills will therefore become increasingly valuable, both in terms of individual productivity and in terms of organizational effectiveness. Those who are able to master time management will have a significant advantage in the years ahead.

3. The Ability to Communicate Effectively

Communication is a key productivity skill in the 21st century. In our fast-paced, globalized world, it is essential to be able to communicate clearly and concisely in order to get our message across.

This ability can be developed through practice and by seeking feedback from others. When communication skills are honed, we are better able to convey our ideas, make connections, and collaborate with others.

Invest in the personal development & soft skills of your team.

The tools to communicate have significantly evolved. Knowing how to use them efficiently will be a game changer.

4. The Ability to Collaborate Effectively

Collaboration is a key skill for anyone looking to boost their productivity in the 21st century. With more and more work being done remotely and online, it is essential to be able to work well with others in order to get tasks completed efficiently.

Good collaboration skills involve being able to communicate effectively, compromise when necessary, and work towards a common goal. If you can learn to Collaborate effectively, you will find that you are able to get more done in less time.

This also includes decentralizing decision making process and improving the decision making skills or your team. Removing yourself from the picture and allowing the teams to collaborate without you is a great way to scale and improve productivity.

Like everything else, there are more collaboration tools available now than ever before. Learning how to use these tools will improve productivity of not just yourself, but also other employees. When the entire team is to work efficiently with each other, the total productivity will increase and will lead to higher profitability of your business.

5. The Ability to Think Critically

Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. It involves the ability to analyze arguments and to distinguish between fact and opinion.

Critical thinking also includes the ability to see things from different perspectives and to question assumptions. Critical thinking is an essential productivity skill because it allows you to make better decisions, solve problems more effectively, and think creatively.

With the vast amount of information that we are bombarded with on a daily basis, critical thinking skills are more important than ever in order to be able to sift through all of the noise and focus on what is truly important. Therefore, if you want to be successful in today’s workforce, it is essential that you develop your critical thinking skills.

Investing in your learning and development is one of the best things you can do to develop your critical thinking skill.

6. Problem Solving Skills: The ability to solve problems creatively

Being able to problem-solve is a foundational skill for any career. In order to be successful, you need to be able to identify problems and then come up with creative solutions to them.

The 21st century is a constantly changing landscape, and those who are able to problem-solve creatively will be the most successful. If you can learn to problem-solve, you will set yourself up for a successful career.

There are many problem solving tools and techniques that you can learn in order to boost your productivity. Some of these include brainstorming, mind mapping, and SWOT analysis.

Reading books/podcasts etc. is a great way to sharpen your problem solving skills.

7. The Ability to Stay Organized: Out-thinking chaos

Being able to stay organized is a key productivity skill for the 21st century. With the fast pace of the world today, it is easy for things to quickly become chaotic and overwhelming. However, if we have good organization skills, we can maintain control and keep everything running smoothly.

There are many benefits to being organized, such as being able to find things easily, being able to work more efficiently, and having less stress. If you want to be more productive, start by improving your organization skills. You may be surprised at how much of a difference it makes!

8. Mastering Stress Management techniques: The ability to outthink stressful situations

As a career coach, I often talk to clients about the importance of learning how to manage stress. In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to have the ability to outthink stressful situations.

The 21st century workplace is incredibly fast-paced and demanding, and workers are expected to be constantly adaptable. This can be incredibly overwhelming and lead to a lot of stress.

However, there are some simple techniques that you can use to transform your career and reduce stress levels.

Becoming more self-aware

Knowing yourself is one of the most important things you can do to manage stress. When you know your triggers, you can avoid them or be prepared for them when they happen.

Practicing mindfulness

Mindfulness is a form of meditation that allows you to focus on the present moment and be aware of your thoughts and feelings. This can help you to better manage your stress levels.

Exercise

Exercise is a great way to release tension and improve your mental well-being and managing stress.

We’ll go into details in a follow up post.

Learning how to manage stress is an essential skill for anyone looking to succeed in the 21st century workplace.

9. Scaling Yourself: Improving Your Employee Productivity Skills

As the world continues to change and evolve, so too must the way we manage our businesses and workforces. One of the most important productivity skills for managers today is the ability to scale themselves. Most managers have laser sharp focus on their personal productivity. But focusing on own productivity doesn’t scale!

A great manager of the 21st century needs to focus on employee productivity. Are your people able to perform at their best?

What this means is empowering your employees to be as productive as possible, and giving them the tools and resources they need to succeed. This may sound like common sense, but it’s something that many managers still struggle with. Part of the problem is that we’re still conditioned to think of employees as cogs in a machine, rather than as individuals with their own needs and ambitions.

But if we want our businesses to thrive in the 21st century, we need to start treating our employees as the valuable assets they are. With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to scale yourself and improve employee productivity:

– Communicate openly and frequently with your team members. Let them know what your expectations are and give them regular feedback on their performance.

– Delegate tasks and responsibilities accordingly. If someone is better suited to a certain task than you are, let them take it on.

– Encourage employee input and suggestions. Your team members are on the front lines and they have a wealth of knowledge about what does and doesn’t work. So don’t be afraid to solicit their input on how to improve things.

– Be flexible with your team’s schedules. We all have different ways of working, so try to accommodate different schedules and work styles.

– Invest in employee development. Provide opportunities for your team members to learn new skills and grow in their roles.

Personal productivity is very important, but you cannot scale it. However, if you invest on your employee productivity, sky is your limit!

TOP (Unusual) PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS – SELF DEVELOPMENT

1- Books / Book Summaries

Productivity experts have long advocated the power of reading for leaders. Bill Gates, for example, reads around 50 books per year, and Warren Buffett spends a big portion of his day reading.

But with the constant bombardment of inputs in the 21st century, how can you choose what to read? This is where book summary apps come in. They help you choose what you should read next. Or if you are smart, they can help you read dozens of books in a month.

With a book summary app, you can get the key takeaways from a book in just a few minutes, and then decide if it’s worth your time to read the entire thing.

In an age where time is precious and there is an endless amount of content to consume, book summary apps can be a valuable tool for busy professionals.

My Top Recommendations for Book Summary Services

Blinkist

I’m a big fan of Blinkist. Blinkist is one of the best in the business when it comes to book summaries. They offer key insights from a wide range of titles (over 5000+), all condensed into quick and easy to read 15-minute summaries.

Plus, their app makes it super simple to find and save articles for later reading. If you’re looking to get the most out of your reading time, Blinkist is definitely worth checking out.

getAbstract

With over 25000+ book summaries, getAbstract has content that can appeal to everyone – from business books to podcasts.

In addition, getAbstract offers a risk-free trial so that you can explore the service without commitment.

If you’re looking for a way to increase your productivity by reading more books, getAbstract is definitely worth checking out.

If you want to compare getAbstract vs Blinkist, this article may help.

2- Career Coach

Most people struggle in silence when it comes to handling tough moments in their career. A career coach can be a great tool to help you rise above your situation.

A career coach can help you identify your goals, develop a plan to achieve them, and provide support and accountability along the way.

They can also help you navigate difficult conversations, develop strategies for managing stress, and build confidence. Whether you’re looking to transform your career or simply take your performance to the next level, a career coach can make all the difference.

They can also help you navigate difficult conversations, develop strategies for managing stress, and build confidence. Whether you’re looking to transform your career or simply take your performance to the next level, a career coach can make all the difference.

Here’s a detailed post on how a Career Coach can help you.

TOP (Unusual) PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS – WRITING

Are you someone who struggles to find time to write? Do you feel like you spend more time formatting and editing your work than actually writing it?

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the world beyond recognition, writing is no different. If your job needs a lot of writing, you can instantly increase productivity by 2X-10X with an AI writing assistant.

An AI writing assistant can help you write emails, documents, and other communication content faster than you ever thought possible. In addition, they can also help you with formatting and editing, so that your work is polished and ready to go.

If you’re looking to increase your productivity and get more writing done in less time, an AI writing assistant is the perfect tool for you.

My Top Recommendations for AI Writing Assistants

Jasper AI

Jasper AI can help you write a 200 word email in a couple of minutes. With a few simple input text commands, Jasper AI can create entire paragraphs.

It can also perform creative tasks like writing marketing emails, campaign slogans, advertisements etc., It can even write fiction! Try Jasper 7 days for free here!

Scalenut

Scalenut is another popular AI writing assistant. You can write a 2000+ article in under 10-15 minutes. See my full review here.

It is a slightly cheaper tool and might help you write quickly. Try it for free, 7 day free trial here!

Wrap Up

The busy professional is always looking for ways to be more productive and successful. In this post, we’ve outlined some essential skills that can help you achieve just that. These include being organized, mastering stress management techniques, and learning how to scale yourself.

We also discussed the importance of employee productivity skills in the 21st century workplace. With these tips in mind, you’re well on your way to becoming a more productive and successful professional!

Also published at my Medium site.