Productivity Killers & The Pencil Sharpener

Productivity killers are in the details.  Sometimes even in the classroom….

Yesterday I went to my son’s classroom to volunteer. First, the teacher asked me to help the kids play bingo (learning numbers was never so fun!). Then, she handed me a box of pencils to sharpen. Now, this might not seem a herculian task to some, but I cringed. Why, you might ask? Because of the friggin sharpener in the work room. *sigh*

I headed down the hallway to face my arch nemesis in elementary school: the Pencil Sharpener. Over the school year I have used this contraption a few times, and each time was an exercise in keeping my mind chatter “G” rated. Oh sure, I could sharpen the pencils, but only lopsided and all funky-like and eating up half the pencil. I also spend WAY too much time on this task because I had to figure out how to get the pencil into the sharpener so there was actual lead showing (and not just wood) at the tip. Afterall, a sharpened pencil isn’t very useful if you can’t actually write with it!

This time was going to be different. A few pencils into it, I made the mind-blowing discovery that there was a size selection of holes for pencils. A simple idea I grant you, but one I had completely overlooked. So, I selected a smaller size. Eureka! Perfectly, un-lopsided, lead-showing sharp pencils everytime! Life is good.

So, this little adventure got me to thinking about the home office. Sometimes productivity killers are the tools we use that need to be changed outright or used in another way. Here’s some things to think about in your home office:

Use it in a different way. Have you ever been looking for a software that does a certain task, only to find out that one you already have does that very task? Explore the possibilities and leverage what you already have. You might be surprised what you find!

Get a better tool. When starting a business, sometimes there’s only so many resources. “Making due” with an inexpensive stapler is sometimes a necessary evil. But, when you are putting together a proposal or project and the thing keeps jamming…. time to get one that actually works. Buy the best quality tools you can afford and save money in the long run.

It’s the little things. Do you use your filing system? Need to re-evaluate and set one up you’ll actually use? As simple (albeit crazy) as it sounds, pulling out a file drawer might be one-too-many steps. A different idea is an open file box; it might make all the difference to finding what you need when you need it. It’s surprising how a little thing like that can make or break your home office organization and productivity.

So, what’s your productivity killer? Is there a way to make it better or eliminate it?

(photo by Gaetan Lee)