Being productive looks different for every professional. It’s not a matter of crossing items off a to-do list, completing a certain number of client calls or reaching a particular goal. You can start your day or week with the best intentions and still not make any real progress. The key in truly being productive is understanding your productivity style and making it work for you. (Here’s a helpful assessment to determine your productivity style).

Writer Amy Rigby admits she struggled with productivity until she learned about specific productivity styles from consultant Carson Tate. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share what Rigby discovered from Tate on different productivity styles. Read on to identify which style you lean toward and how to use this insight to work smarter.

1. The prioritizer. Rigby learned that this type of professional has a keen sense of what matters most and can move with decisiveness. They can often complete a large amount of work in a short time because they remain laser-focused on the outcome. If you walk into their office, you’ll likely find a clean desk and orderly shelves.

Shortcomings: Prioritizers can come across as rigid or controlling. They also may value speed over excellence and focus on the project over the process. They want to do work quickly and effectively, says Rigby, and skip the small talk.

2. The planner. These professionals usually make excellent project managers because they are detail-oriented, organized and punctual. Rigby says that they are particularly conscientious about sticking to the rules, regulations and protocol.

Shortcomings: Planners may miss opportunities because they don’t want to veer too far away from the plan. They also may lack spontaneity and care excessively about the outcome of a specific project or undertaking. If you want to communicate to a planner, do it in writing and provided detailed information, suggests Rigby.

3. The arranger. Arrangers thrive on collaboration and want to understand how different people fit into the project at hand. They love in-person conversations and using body language and tone of voice to communicate with others. These professionals are often expressive, supportive and team-oriented, says Rigby. Walk into their office, and you will likely see plenty of personal touches, from family photos to children’s artwork.

Shortcomings: Arrangers can sometimes be nearsighted, losing focus on the big picture. They may also demonstrate excessive involvement with people, losing focus on the end result of the project, says Rigby.

4. The visualizer. This type of professional is a big-picture thinker and does not like getting bogged down in structure and details. They have an uncanny ability to connect seemingly unrelated information and they lean heavily on their creative problem-solving abilities. Their office probably has stacks of papers in every corner and various collectibles and personal items stashed in every open spot.

Shortcomings: Rigby points out that visualizers may value possibilities over the process and have a tendency to overlook the details. They may also be consistently late on their deadlines because of their impulsivity. You can communicate best with these types of professionals by using visual words such as “big picture” and “envision,” Rigby adds.

If you have tried various productivity hacks and you still feel like you’re spinning your wheels, you may not be aligned with your ideal productivity style. Think about which one of these styles you most relate to and use strategies that work with your preferred style.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Amy Rigby is a writer and marketing consultant who contributes to the Trello blog.