Productivity

 

“It is wonderful how much may be done, if we are always doing.” – Thomas Jefferson

Every time I go to a barre class, the instructor very energetically tells the class that “You can do more than you think you can. Don’t let that plank go!” This motivates me during most classes (except when working on seat), the concept of being capable of more applies to the workplace too. It’s not that I am not productive and that I do not reach my potential, but I know that I am always capable of doing better and going one step further. I think we all are and that is the beauty of life, that we are always striving towards something. If we did everything in a short amount of time and did it consistently flawlessly, we would be bored and would have nothing to work for. Having goals to reach for is a good thing, as is recognizing that you have room to improve and grow. Bad things happen when you stay where you are and don’t try to move forward.

As I reflect on my own performance and productivity, I became aware of three things that help me keep my level of productivity in check.

Being mindful of time online. Sure, Twitter and Facebook have amazing resources for articles and museum theory, not to mention a fabulous way to build your personal network. However, it is no secret that the internet can be a major time thief if not utilized properly. While reading articles on Wikipedia or museum websites are great for project research, if three clicks and thirty minutes later, you know the full lineage of Queen Elizabeth’s corgis, you just lost precious work time. Because of this, I suggest saving general reads for when at home, when struggling with active productivity (more on that below), or when a break is desperately needed.

 

Understanding passive v. active productivity. A game-changer for my productivity was being aware that there are at least two types of productivity, which I call passive and active. This is a concept from the business world that I think could benefit museum pros. Passive productivity is cleaning your inbox, organizing your desk, or catching up on what’s going in the current Twitter chat. Active productivity is doing work that contributes to the museum’s mission. Cleaning your desk does not do that. While it might improve your focus, this could be done by coming in a few minutes early or staying a few minutes late. Work that contributes to the mission are actions related to your job duties, such as gathering visitor data, fine-tuning a public program, responding to social media comments, or asking members to upgrade their giving levels. This is an area that I am still growing in myself because it is not always easy to identify whether one’s action is helping the mission or not. We’ll get there together, my friends.

Food and Sleep. Those two nouns affect my performance in so many ways. In fact, they really make or break whether I will be productive or not. If I didn’t get enough sleep, I will struggle with focusing and will probably be cranky. If I don’t eat well, say for instance I have a sugary breakfast, I will crash at some point in the day and will battle with my Sugar Dragon to get work done. Those who know me well know that I am a believer in the Whole30 program. Through Whole30 I learned that sugar and many other processed foods have a negative impact on my work performance. Now that my diet generally consists of fruits, vegetables, meats, and the occasional whole grain, I feel so much better at work.

We museum folks could always be more professional and productive. I know it’s gross to think about, but museums are also businesses. We should treat our work with a high-level of professionalism and productivity while recognizing that if we don’t do our jobs well, it can have a negative impact on the health of our institutions and our salaries. Sure, passion is great, but it doesn’t grow your paycheck by itself without productivity.