I have been working part-time (3 to 4 days) for the last 7 years and often been asked for some tips on how to deliver the best value in a shorter time frame. With the recent announcement of Unilever starting a 4Day working week trial in Australia and majority of my colleagues looking for productivity increases, I thought it would be useful to share some of my key learnings.   

1.      Analyse and redesign your role

I know so many people who have asked to go part-time and wait for their line manager or HR to come back with how it will be possible. This explains why most people on 4-day contracts end up working a 5-day workload. As an employee, especially if you are already in the role, you should take the time to analyse the role and propose solutions. Here is a simplified version of a role analysis and design that can be used by employees and HR:

·        Split the role into job functions (this is a level above tasks), try to keep it to 5 main job functions and the % of time they represent of full-time employee

·        For each job function, note down if they are interrelated or independent of each other

·        Do they have different or similar key stakeholders?

·        Which job functions need full-time coverage (for example need to answer customers’ requests any days)?

·        Which job functions need to be performed in specific location and which can be done from anywhere?

Once this analysis is done, you can propose functions to be removed or shared across teams so you can be part-time without impacting business results. Preparing such a proposal will be valued by your employer and if not accepted will be a good base to design a solution. I personally conducted similar analysis of my roles and been successful in landing a more suitable workload.  

2.      Manage your time not your emails

Easier says then done, I know! But I personally applied some simple actions to help me do this;

·        Set your outlook to open on calendar first instead of emails

·        Set 2 times a day to look at emails

·        Ideally, close emails when working or at least remove emails pop up so you don’t have any distraction

·        When reading emails (Note this is one of my best tips!), if they require more than 2 minutes to answer, drag the email into your tasks (bottom left in outlook) and set a time when this email needs to be answered. The email will then appear in your calendar at the bottom of the day you have set to do it. If the email requires more than 30 minutes to answer, set an actual time in your calendar to complete.

·        Don’t set complicated email filling system (not worth it when outlook search can do the job for you), simply delete or keep in one folder. You can also set a “reading” folder for spare time, but I personally prefer to also prioritise reading material or I will never get to it.  

·        Try to have a zero-email inbox at least once a week! Yes, it’s possible and will make you feel on top of things. If you apply my top tip above and do not answer every email but prioritise them, you should be able to do this.

3.      Start your day by doing what matters most

This one is a simple tip I apply most days. Before the day and meetings take over, I try to get one thing done that matters. I go back to my tasks list in my calendar for that day and pick one task I do before I even open my emails. It gives me great satisfaction to have accomplished something and is a great way to start my day.

4.      Plan breaks and walking meetings

It’s been proven that our brain can’t concentrate more than 90min at the time. Like many I’m guilty of going non-stop from meetings to meetings and even eating at my desk. What I try to do is give myself nudges to take breaks like; booking it in my calendar or when I’m home, I put on my active wear at the start of the day to go for a jogging at some point. There is a clear difference when I get breaks, my brain is clearer, I feel more productive and I’m simply not exhausted at the end of the day.

Walking meetings are my favourite since Covid lockdowns. I try to do one per day. In the morning, I check my calendar and select a meeting that I need to listen or participate in but not present content. I prep my Bluetooth headphones and a few minutes before the meeting, I get my running shoes and head out. I found that by walking and not having any disruptions (like Teams Chats or trying to multitask!), I’m much more present and can add more value to the meeting. I listen better to the presenter and sometimes stop to zoom in on the presentation content. I just need to make sure I walk in a quiet street, so I don’t worry about cars and noise.

5.      Be flexible, align and clearly communicate your availability

Flexibility goes both ways, it helps having worklife balance (or as I like to call it worklife integration) but it also needs to suit the business needs. Some tips to make this work;

·        Discuss with your team the time you will be offline and mitigate any risks of you not being there.

·        Have one person who can communicate with you or share updates/notes. It’s not about doing your job but simply think about you and the things you need to be aware off.

·        Once aligned, send an email to your line manager and colleagues to confirm your availability.

·        Try to be consistent with your availability so people can easily remember.

·        Make sure you have your availability details in your email signature and out of office automated emails.

I hope you find these tips useful and please don’t hesitate to reach out to get anymore details or share your own tips!