Many of us may enjoy a slow day at work, depending on the day or the season.
However, according to Indeed, how you spend your time during a slow day can reflect on your engagement, commitment and motivation.
Slow days are often a welcome opportunity to complete tasks that you might otherwise ignore, or work on your own professional development.
This is the time to polish up or learn new skills, build your work relationship or set several goals.
“Choosing tasks that have direct benefits on your career can show your managers that you care about your job and want to grow as an employee,” they said.
- Polish up your resume and update your curriculum vitae
Most people in the workplace do not update their CV's for years, until a need arises.
One can use the time to update roles and tasks on your CV.
Consider switching things up on your template and the look of your CV.
This will save you a lot of time should your manager want a CV for a higher role he may want to give you.
- Manage your email
After dedicating all your time and effort on a busy day. Try and spend time on a slow work day managing your inbox.
You may have more time to spend crafting responses and gathering information to answer questions.
Delete old messages and reply or send new emails. This will help declutter your inbox, improve efficiency and save time.
- Plan future tasks
There is never enough time. If you use this opportunity to plan future tasks, it will not only help you stay organised but you also save additional time you could have spent planning the task during work hours.
Get yourself a dedicated application or notebook where you can plan your tasks.
- Review your goals
Indeed suggests that it is beneficial to periodically review your professional goals and update them as things change.
Set targets and review them daily, if not after two days.
This will help monitor your progress and commitment.
Outline a few steps you can take to achieve those goals. For example, if you want to increase productivity by a certain percentage and what you must do to ensure it is achieved.
- Talk to your manager
On a slow day, you may be able to have an informal discussion with your manager about your performance and areas that need growth.
But first, consider sending an email or calling to ask if they have a few minutes in their day to speak with you.
This brief meeting can show your manager that you value their feedback and that you want to improve.
- Review your work
Go through the work that you have submitted for spelling mistakes or errors. You can also use this time to update links on your CV or LinkedIn profile.
Add links and posts that will support your career journey and build strong networks.
Do not forget you have a life outside work, so continue building an active profile, especially on social media.
- Get creative
You can also listen to a podcast that will add value to your career, instead of spending time scrolling through TikTok and Instagram.
Think of ideas you can incorporate to help you grow your business or career.
You can also enroll in a class or learn a new language, as long as it adds value to you as a person, your business or career.
Getting creative will make you more innovative and by the end of the day, you will feel more productive.
A slow day at work does not necessarily mean you lay your guard down.
Hope these tips will help you! Let’s stay productive.