Since its emergence, technology has transformed our working habits in various ways.
According to some, technology is making today’s workforce becoming lazier and dependent; thus why many young working adults are being labelled as ‘unproductive’ and ‘entitled’.
On the flip side, however, technology can help improve our productivity if it is used intelligently and when it matters most. Here are some ways how we can use technology to be productive in the workplace.
Create flexible working environment
In today’s modern and changing environment, technology has made it easier for us to be flexible at work.
Technologies such as internet connectivity and innovations like cloud computing have enable changes from the traditional 9-to-5 working environment to flexible working arrangements such as flexi hours and remote work.
Regardless of our situation, with technology we can now send and receive important information, tackle problems, and perform tasks even when we are away from our workplace; thus allowing us to stay efficient and productive at the same time.
Improve communication and connectivity
Effective communication is important for productivity. Technologies such as smartphones, social networking sites and chat apps have made communication faster, instantaneous, more deliberate, collaborative, and unified.
With the help of technology, you don’t have to be present at your workplace every time, but you can still be engaged in other important works outside and keep in touch with your colleagues.
This proves that technology has changed the way people communicate in the workplace for the better.
Track work performance and progress to complete goal
These days, there are many technologies that can help you track work performance and progress during each phase of goal completion.
This includes apps that can prepare advanced reporting and business analysis to help you gain a deep understanding of business performance, customer preferences, and market trends.
By tracking down progression, this would encourage you to learn new skills, perform the best to your ability, and hence increase your productivity.
Use technology in moderation
Technology does help us get things done in a quicker and more efficient way. However, things can get too stagnant if we are too dependent on it.
So, rather than using technology on every minor task, you can decide to only utilise them during critical moments.
This is to keep you from getting too comfortable in your job and at the same time, prevent your skills and knowledge from getting rusty.
However, if you are working on something that doesn’t necessarily fall under your work scope, it is okay to use technology to fill in that skills gap.
This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! – an initiative driven by Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak – to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
This article first appeared on The Borneo Post, published in the print version on Saturday, June 29, 2019.
Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels.
