I like this tip about leaving the office on time. I got it from the Microsoft at work newsletter that I subscribe to. Christian writes an excellent newsletter (and blog too by the way). I feel strongly that we should all get into the habit of working sensible hours. I've been been traveling and working silly hours for the last 7 days. I've been to 4 countries (Greece, Croatia, Poland and Lithuania) in the last 7 days, been from really hot (22 degrees in Athens) to freezing cold (-4 in Croatia) in the space of 4 hours. I've spend over 20 hours sitting in smoky airline lounges and I haven't managed to check in at any hotel on the trip before 2330hrs. Who said that travel was glamorous?
Here are the top line tips from Laura which you need to adopt and chant as a mantra:
1. Stop going along with unspoken office “rules”. Instead, commit to stopping work on time.
2. Start meetings before 4pm. Wherever possible schedule meetings to end by 4:30pm.
3. Be assertive. Don't be afraid to tell others, "I leave work at 5pm every day because I have a 5:30pm commitment that I must stick to."
4. Schedule “working” time.
5. Make preparations to leave.
6. Challenge your assumptions. Long hours don’t need to be "the way it is".
7. Start small.
My own personal tip is: Tell everyone your working pattern and stick to it. I tell everyone that I work from home on Mondays and Fridays (I live 130 miles from the office). Everyone respects my choice, I hardly ever (6 times last year) have to come in for a meeting on those days, I'm more productive, and my team don't feel that they need to show their faces either. Each one of the team get the flexibility too.
So give it a go. You'll feel brave at the start, then empowered, and just watch your productivity go up!