Get The Most Out of Your First Hour At Work

First Hour of Work

 

The activities you engage in during first hour at work can have a significant impact on the rest of your day. Start by performing productive tasks, and you set a positive tone moving forward. Putter around and engage in pointless tasks, and it can take a chunk out of your overall productivity. Here are some tips to ensure that you get the most out of your first hour at work.

Connect With Coworkers

No matter how tech-oriented we become, relationships are still the backbone of job satisfaction and workplace morale. In fact, “a Gallup study showed that having close friends at work can “boost satisfaction by 50% and that people with a best friend at work were up to seven times more engaged.”

That’s why it’s a good idea to spend a little time communicating with your coworkers. This isn’t to say that you spend an extended period of time gossiping or engaging in idle chatter. But it’s good to greet the team and strive to build relationships.

Skim Over Email

You’ll hear countless productivity experts say that you should avoid checking your email right off the bat. But let’s be honest. Most of us are going to do it anyway, and often it’s important for keeping things running smoothly. The trick here isn’t to avoid email entirely during your first hour.

It’s to simply skim over it rather than diving in head first to the point that you’re spending the bulk of your first hour sending and responding to emails. Just focus on what’s important and save the rest for later.

Check and Update Your To-Do List

Having a game plan at the beginning of each day is essential for staying on track and placing your attention on what’s truly important. That’s why it’s smart to take a quick look at your to-do list and determine what needs to be taken care of. If there are other tasks you’ll need to complete later on that week, go ahead and update your to-do list as well.

Prioritize Tasks

Once you know which tasks are most important, you’ll want to break them down in terms of priority. Then create a rough outline that will dictate your workday. This will help you operate with maximum effectiveness while preventing any wasted motions and should reduce the likelihood of you becoming overwhelmed.

By taking measures to start things out on the right foot, you can get yourself into a rhythm that will help guide you through your day. This should translate into higher productivity, less stress and greater job fulfillment.
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