Fridays often feel like a race against the clock. We can’t wait to get to the weekend, but that urge to check out early can leave the last day of the workweek surprisingly unproductive. Yet Fridays don’t have to be a free-for-all of distractions and wasted time. With a little planning and focus, the end of the week can be the perfect opportunity to clear your plate and even sneak in some wins before the weekend hits.

In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we highlight a post from Michelle McGovern on ways to be more productive on Friday. By following some of these tips, you might even find Friday to be your most productive day of the week.

  1. Be intentional with your planning. You probably have the fewest appointments today. Many people avoid meetings, presentations and training events on Fridays, which means you have the day open to focus on your highest priorities. McGovern recommends planning what you want to get done. Ideally, you’ll plan on the first day of the week what you’ll accomplish by the end of the week. Be specific, she says, and if possible, share the list with a colleague who can tell you if it’s too ambitious or not ambitious enough.

  2. Choose low-stress work. If possible, use Friday to get ahead on work that doesn’t require deep or creative thinking. Maybe you use this time to file expense reports or update weekly reports. Think of those housekeeping tasks that feel like a huge relief when they’re done. McGovern recommends knocking out those to-do items so they don’t hang over your head adding stress.

  3. Make it a training day. Just like you could choose low-stress work on a Friday, you could also use this day of the week to catch up on self-guided training. McGovern says this could be listening to a webinar or completing an online tutorial. Try to get into a regular cadence with it.

  4. Batch the day. McGovern points out that Fridays often leave room for daydreaming and distractions because they aren’t as structured as other days. However, you can accomplish more by creating some structure. For example, she mentions how a Korn Ferry coach suggests using Fridays to batch work, using simple calendar tools to manage time with specific chunks devoted to completing tasks, planning and following up.

  5. Get together. Many companies are adopting no-meeting Fridays, McGovern says, so you could use the day for informal one-on-ones with colleagues you don’t see often or with employees who may need a little extra attention. She says you could use the time to share ideas, struggles and solutions that make everyone’s work life easier.

Don’t just coast on Fridays but use the day as a chance to end the week on a high note. Plan ahead, batch some work and carve out time for skill-building or reflection. That’s how you can make the day count and leave the office satisfied and ready to enjoy your weekend.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Michelle McGovern contributes to the HR Morning blog.