Teamwork is essential in meeting productivity goals.

Team effort is important for any company with multiple employees to thrive, and it can significantly impact business strategies and productivity. The most effective leaders directly engage their teams and spend a good chunk of their time supporting employees and encouraging them to succeed.

5 words to live by for your next meeting: "Short, focused, and standing up."

To kick things off and keep things on track, always provide an agenda in advance of the meeting.

Handle email and communication to stay productive:

• Be concise in every response to reduce the time spent on communication.
• If a response has the potential to require a discussion, make it a phone call instead.
• Schedule time for emails. Leaving the email open all day creates constant distractions.
• Only spend time on communication when it’s scheduled. Block out small windows throughout the day to respond.
• Hire a full-time or virtual assistant to handle your communications for you.

The first few hours after waking is the time when your brain is at its sharpest and you’re more likely to stay on task. That’s why you need to focus during early hours on the highest-priority items of your to-do list.

During that time, tackle important tasks and projects while holding off on emails, calls, and texts until lunchtime.

Some of the ways you can be productive during your commute include:

• Catching up on podcasts or listening to business-related audio books
• Hands-free calling to get a head start on critical or time-sensitive issues
• Reading and responding to emails (for those who use public transit)
• Researching and preparing for presentations

Early hours are important because they tend to be free of most distractions and give you an opportunity to get focused. 

An early start will allow you to squeeze in more time for reflection, breakfast, exercise, and getting a jump-start on communication.