How to be more productive at work – live chat
From concentration music playlists to Pomodoro technique apps, the internet is awash with tips, hacks and rules that promise to make us more productive at work.
The paradox is that technologies that were supposed to help us complete tasks more efficiently have made us busier, forcing us to juggle more and filling up free time with distractions.
As Oliver Burkeman writes, the quest for increased personal productivity “is a dominant motif of our age”. And yet, “the better you get at managing time, the less of it you feel that you have”.
The fact that Britons are spending longer at their workplaces for little or no gain in productivity shows there is a problem. But what can be done to improve productivity?
Are you easily distracted at work? Do you find it hard to juggle multiple tasks? Spending more time in the office but struggling to stay on top of your workload? Join us on Thursday 15 June from 1–2.30pm BST for a live chat with the experts. We’ll be discussing:
Techniques for improving your productivity
How to spend your time wisely
Advice on achieving a good work-life balance
The Q&A will take place in the comments section below this article. Taking part is easier than ever: to comment create a free Guardian account, or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profiles. Alternatively, you can tweet us @GuardianCareers or email your questions to sarah.shearman@theguardian.com, who can post them for you.
The panel
Magdalena Bak-Maier is a neuroscientist and productivity coach. Author of Get Productive! and Get Productive Grid, she takes a science-informed approach to productivity and runs an online results accelerator called Da Vinci.
Hilda Burke is an accredited psychotherapist. She works as an integrated psychotherapist, life coach and couples’ counsellor at her practice Hilda Burke Psychotherapy in West London.
Sir Cary Cooper CBE is professor of organisational psychology and health at Alliance Manchester Business School. He is president of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, president of the British Academy of Management and president of the relationship charity Relate. He has written and edited more than 150 books and 350 scholarly articles on organisational psychology and HR topics.
Grace Marshall is the author of How to be REALLY productive. She is also a productivity coach Think Productive, working with a range of organisations globally to help employees reduce stress and increase productivity.
Caroline Webb is chief executive of Sevenshift, a behavioural science consultancy that helps people improve their working life. She is author of How To Have A Good Day and also a senior advisor to McKinsey, where she was previously a Partner.
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