You’ve forgotten your customer’s order for the second time, another table is waiting for their dinner and you have run out of clean napkins. You rush around trying to get back on top of your work, wondering how things spiraled out of control so quickly. This is the situation you may find yourself in if your productivity levels at work are less than adequate. Luckily, Charlotte Quenet-Meintjes, head of Workaway International, has prepared some of her top tips for boosting your productivity at work.
Be happy in your job
The happier you are in your job, the more you will want to succeed. When you are happy, it immediately becomes evident as your positive attitude not only affects your customers, but also affects your team. A happier worker is a more energetic worker. If you are not happy in your job, pinpoint what it is that is making you unhappy and make an appointment with your manager to discuss these issues.
Be prepared
Know what you are going to need or have prepared for the day ahead. If you need to arrive early and prepare your work station, then do it! You do not want to have to fold napkins and sort cutlery when you are meant to be serving customers their meals. Likewise with chefs, know what the special for the day is or the most popular dish and ensure that all the necessary preparations have been made. Servers also need to ensure that they have plenty of change to sort bills as quickly as possible.
Be fresh
It’s important to get plenty of sleep to make your work day as productive as possible. When you are tired, you are more likely to make mistakes – costing you time and resulting in customer frustration. Feeling good about yourself is important, so have a shower, put on a clean shirt and have confidence as you go about your job.
Focus
Focus on the task at hand and ensure you complete it properly. It’s a waste of your time if you have to redo a job that should have been done properly from the start. Fewer distractions increase productivity so switch your cell phone off when you arrive for work and ensure your work station is set up and ready for your shift.
Complete dreaded tasks first
Whichever activity you are dreading the most is probably the one you need to complete first thing in the morning. Procrastination will not make the tasks go away, so get it out of the way early in the day, and you will feel much better without the task hanging over your head all day.
Write things down
Being a server can sometimes get a little chaotic with many tables to look after at the same time. Make sure you have a pen and paper handy for big tables or complicated orders. This ensures an efficient communication process to the kitchen, helping you avoid mistakes that cost you time and make your customers unhappy.
Picture from Caiaimage/REX
