Wildlife Biologists work all over the world in all kinds of ecosystems and habitats to helping to better understand various species and population numbers. They also help rehabilitate injured wildlife and return them back into the wild. While its incredibly difficult and important scientific work, they still have to use productivity skills to get everything accomplished!
Fieldwork Planning
When these biologists go out into the field, they need to keep accomplish a huge amount of data collection setting up equipment and traveling all in a short season. Data collection can include DNA, feathers, hair, blood and more and a biologist might handle several different species and animals a day!
To make sure that they accomplish all they need to before winter shows up or tides change they need an efficient plan, and so do we! Good planning can make a chef faster, a project manager less stressed and a professional more efficient. In your next project ask yourself what kind of planning will help make processes simple and quickly repeatable? How can you preset and pre-accomplish some tasks before getting started just like a biologist might pre-label a tracker with species type.
Data Logging Systems
Smart researchers have figured out using radio technology in very fascinating ways. For example there is a buoy system being used in Australia where radio tag or sonar systems pick up sharks and alert surfers and swimmers nearby. These same kinds of systems help send GPS signals to research vessels to allow them to gain insight into animal movements and behaviors without having to be on site all the time.
We can use the same idea to help us be more efficient and productive. If you were to guess the amount of time you spend having to travel to meetings or looking for someone, what would that number be? If you looked to see how much time you spent managing emails, what else could you have done with that time if it was cut in half? Many systems now track screen time, and moving time. Every once in a while its worth looking into the data and see where you can improve.
Seasonal Work Batching
Studying the effects of sunlight on grass during December in Alaska is going to be difficult. Biologists have to plan their work around seasonal changes and when they have access to conditions they need. When the right conditions aren’t available they make use of that time writing up findings and learning about new techniques.
There are seasons to our work. Retail stores have their most busy late in the year while a CPA is busier in April. Knowing when our busiest times are going to be helps us plan more effectively and not take on new projects or debut new products. Sometimes being more productive is all about lining up tasks and the season in the business year you’re in.
