How to Be Productive at Work During a Slow Week
Start on projects or other work scheduled for the following week., Talk to your employer., Take care of minor projects and administrative details that usually bog you down., Sort through your e-mails and voice mails., Finish projects that you’ve put...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start on projects or other work scheduled for the following week.
One of the best ways to deal with a slow week is to try to get ahead on future work.
By getting ahead on future work, you’ll use your down time to take the pressure off you at a later date.
If you’re scheduled to start on a project the following week, begin working on it.
While you may not be completely ready to start on this project (based on information or collaboration with other workers), you can begin to lay the foundations of the project.
If you have meetings scheduled for the future, move them up (if possible). -
Step 2: Talk to your employer.
Ask your employer or manager if there is a project they’d like you to get started on earlier than expected.
They’ll likely be happy that you’re enthusiastic and want to make the most of your time at work.
In the end, you’ll prove to your employer that you are a hard worker.
Tell your employer you’ve finished all of your work.
Say something like “I’ve been fairly productive this week, is there something else you’d like me to get to?” When talking to your boss, make sure to articulate the extenuating circumstances of that particular week.
You don’t want them to get the idea that they can continue to assign you more or extra work on a regular basis., There are a variety of minor things you can do including catching up with vendors, agencies, or anyone you may do business with outside of your own office.
Schedule meetings.
Order supplies.
Pay bills or submit invoices., A great way to use your free time is to sort through e-mail and voicemail.
This is important, since they can both pile up quickly.
Organize your e-mails into folders that can be easily referenced.
Delete spam or trash and unsubscribe to email lists you don’t want to be on.
Listen to and delete or save your voicemails., A slow work week is a great opportunity to finish projects you’ve been putting off for a while.
Chances are, these projects have been haunting you and causing you anxiety for a while.
Use this opportunity to get them out of the way for good.
Make a list of projects or work-related chores you want to get out of the way.
Rank your list based on associated pressure or stress.
Work through your list starting with projects that have cause you the most stress. , Use your spare time by completing performance evaluations or by meeting with your manager to discuss your productivity.
By performing these activities, you’ll make good and productive use of your slow week.
Schedule a meeting with your supervisor to discuss your productivity or other work related issues.
Approach your supervisor and say "I'd like to schedule a meeting with you if you have time.
I want to talk about ways I can be more productive and/or help other employees." If you’re in a supervisory role, start work on performance evaluations.
While evaluations might not be due for several weeks or even a couple of months, you should be able to get started on some aspect of them., Many jobs require employees to complete some sort of continuing education.
If your job does not, it is very likely that your employer would encourage you to attend a trade convention, conference, or something similar.
Start work on certification.
Depending on your field, profession, or trade, you may need to secure or renew certifications.
Attend a seminar or conference during the week.
You might also be able to use your slow week to attend a seminar, conference, or a trade convention.
At these events, you’ll be able to network with other professionals, secure education, or promote your product or services.
Use your downtime to complete continuing education course requirements remotely.
Always inform your boss before leaving the office., A great way to take advantage of a slow period and to promote efficiency is to clean your workspace.
Your workspace is usually one of the things that suffers in your day-to-day work.
This is a bad thing, because it promotes disorganization and hampers your efficiency.
Your slow week is a great way to organize all the papers cluttering your desk.
Sort them and file them appropriately.
Clean out your draws of trash, papers that are no longer relevant, or files that are misplaced., Shadowing or observing an experienced coworker for a day is a great way to use down time and improve efficiency.
The likelihood is that you’ll learn some skills and techniques from the senior employee and will be able to integrate them into your daily life.
Ask permission from your boss.
Say "I've been very productive lately and I'd like to shadow another employee so I can observe ways to be even more efficient." Contact the employee ahead of time.
Find a senior employee in your department with who you are already friendly with.
Approach them and say "would you mind if I observed you for a few hours? I think I can learn a lot from you." Make sure the employee is someone who has received awards or been recognized by management for superior work., For many organizations, their filing or information storage system is fraught with inefficiencies and other problems.
Take advantage of your downtime and improve this system.
Chances are, you’ll be able to not only make things easier for you in the future, but for the whole office.
Are all the files located in a central area? If not, make a central location to house all the files so they can easily be accessed.
If they already are in a central location, volunteer to weed out the older files to make room for future ones.
Ask management before making any alterations to the file or information storage systems.
Consider adding new and innovative filing solutions like Google Docs. -
Step 3: Take care of minor projects and administrative details that usually bog you down.
-
Step 4: Sort through your e-mails and voice mails.
-
Step 5: Finish projects that you’ve put off.
-
Step 6: Complete performance evaluations or meet with your manager.
-
Step 7: Complete continuing education requirements.
-
Step 8: Clean your workspace.
-
Step 9: Ask your boss if you can shadow a co-worker.
-
Step 10: Organize your department’s files.
Detailed Guide
One of the best ways to deal with a slow week is to try to get ahead on future work.
By getting ahead on future work, you’ll use your down time to take the pressure off you at a later date.
If you’re scheduled to start on a project the following week, begin working on it.
While you may not be completely ready to start on this project (based on information or collaboration with other workers), you can begin to lay the foundations of the project.
If you have meetings scheduled for the future, move them up (if possible).
Ask your employer or manager if there is a project they’d like you to get started on earlier than expected.
They’ll likely be happy that you’re enthusiastic and want to make the most of your time at work.
In the end, you’ll prove to your employer that you are a hard worker.
Tell your employer you’ve finished all of your work.
Say something like “I’ve been fairly productive this week, is there something else you’d like me to get to?” When talking to your boss, make sure to articulate the extenuating circumstances of that particular week.
You don’t want them to get the idea that they can continue to assign you more or extra work on a regular basis., There are a variety of minor things you can do including catching up with vendors, agencies, or anyone you may do business with outside of your own office.
Schedule meetings.
Order supplies.
Pay bills or submit invoices., A great way to use your free time is to sort through e-mail and voicemail.
This is important, since they can both pile up quickly.
Organize your e-mails into folders that can be easily referenced.
Delete spam or trash and unsubscribe to email lists you don’t want to be on.
Listen to and delete or save your voicemails., A slow work week is a great opportunity to finish projects you’ve been putting off for a while.
Chances are, these projects have been haunting you and causing you anxiety for a while.
Use this opportunity to get them out of the way for good.
Make a list of projects or work-related chores you want to get out of the way.
Rank your list based on associated pressure or stress.
Work through your list starting with projects that have cause you the most stress. , Use your spare time by completing performance evaluations or by meeting with your manager to discuss your productivity.
By performing these activities, you’ll make good and productive use of your slow week.
Schedule a meeting with your supervisor to discuss your productivity or other work related issues.
Approach your supervisor and say "I'd like to schedule a meeting with you if you have time.
I want to talk about ways I can be more productive and/or help other employees." If you’re in a supervisory role, start work on performance evaluations.
While evaluations might not be due for several weeks or even a couple of months, you should be able to get started on some aspect of them., Many jobs require employees to complete some sort of continuing education.
If your job does not, it is very likely that your employer would encourage you to attend a trade convention, conference, or something similar.
Start work on certification.
Depending on your field, profession, or trade, you may need to secure or renew certifications.
Attend a seminar or conference during the week.
You might also be able to use your slow week to attend a seminar, conference, or a trade convention.
At these events, you’ll be able to network with other professionals, secure education, or promote your product or services.
Use your downtime to complete continuing education course requirements remotely.
Always inform your boss before leaving the office., A great way to take advantage of a slow period and to promote efficiency is to clean your workspace.
Your workspace is usually one of the things that suffers in your day-to-day work.
This is a bad thing, because it promotes disorganization and hampers your efficiency.
Your slow week is a great way to organize all the papers cluttering your desk.
Sort them and file them appropriately.
Clean out your draws of trash, papers that are no longer relevant, or files that are misplaced., Shadowing or observing an experienced coworker for a day is a great way to use down time and improve efficiency.
The likelihood is that you’ll learn some skills and techniques from the senior employee and will be able to integrate them into your daily life.
Ask permission from your boss.
Say "I've been very productive lately and I'd like to shadow another employee so I can observe ways to be even more efficient." Contact the employee ahead of time.
Find a senior employee in your department with who you are already friendly with.
Approach them and say "would you mind if I observed you for a few hours? I think I can learn a lot from you." Make sure the employee is someone who has received awards or been recognized by management for superior work., For many organizations, their filing or information storage system is fraught with inefficiencies and other problems.
Take advantage of your downtime and improve this system.
Chances are, you’ll be able to not only make things easier for you in the future, but for the whole office.
Are all the files located in a central area? If not, make a central location to house all the files so they can easily be accessed.
If they already are in a central location, volunteer to weed out the older files to make room for future ones.
Ask management before making any alterations to the file or information storage systems.
Consider adding new and innovative filing solutions like Google Docs.
About the Author
Stephen Hernandez
Committed to making lifestyle accessible and understandable for everyone.
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