Boosting the productivity of a team is what every team lead strives to achieve. Every manager wants their teams to accomplish great goals. However, that is not an easy task. As a team leader or manager, you may know a couple of tricks that boost your productivity, but it doesn’t mean it will work out for your team as well! So, how can you empower them to be more productive?
A lot of people in managerial positions make the mistake of pushing their team members above their limits. Even though leaving your comfort zone from time to time can be healthy, continuous pressure can lead to burnout and cause disengagement! So, how can you boost motivation and productivity without being overbearing?
Boosting productivity Tip #1: Lead by example
Managers and leaders often make a mistake thinking that rules do not apply to them. Even though they’ve built a solid reputation, it doesn’t mean that they should act however they like. This negatively affects other employees who then tend to be more resistant and less productive. Instead of using workplace privileges, lead by example. What does that mean?
The desirable behavior is best used by modeling. And who is a better workplace model than a manager?! So, show your colleagues how to be more productive through behavior. Don’t slack off and disrupt the workflow. Instead, be the model they need to learn proper workplace behavior.
Tip #2: Know how to delegate
Having a team means you can rely on them to complete tasks. But if you feel like you’re doing the heavy lifting on the job, it’s usually not your team’s fault. You might not be good at delegating tasks. Giving orders will backfire, so learn how to delegate and assign tasks properly. What can help you there?
Delegate tasks you feel your team will be able to handle. Trust is important in this process. To build it start with easier tasks and see how much each member can handle. On top of that, proper task delegation will allow your employees to focus and work productively. Trusting your team is worth it!
Boosting productivity Tip #3: Highlight team members’ strengths
To run a team and boost their productivity, discovering their strengths and weaknesses is essential. That will help you match members to the adequate tasks they can excel in. In addition to that, you’ll avoid assigning wrong tasks to employees who are not cut out for it. So, ensure you discover their pros and cons in terms of skills and business.
Assigning tasks according to their strengths allows your employees to reach their full potential, minimize burnout and increase feelings of satisfaction. However, you have to keep in mind that skills and strengths develop over time, so adapt tasks according to that. Delegating below their level will make them stagnate, and feel stuck and dissatisfied. So, use their full potential for maximized productivity.
Tip #4: Set realistic goals
Another vital aspect of productivity is the goals. If your team doesn’t have a communal goal to work towards, they won’t put in as much effort! So, set a SMART goal, that is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. However, to boost individual productivity, each team member needs to have their own goals!
Keep in mind that not every team member has the same potential. So, set their goals according to their abilities and skills. However, you should keep pushing them to expand their skill set and gain more experience in their field.
Boosting productivity Tip #5: Encourage feedback
How do you know if you’re doing something correctly without feedback? You can only guess, but that can exhaust you causing you to be less productive. So, prevent that from happening by encouraging feedback in your team. Why is feedback so important?
Since it’s a two-way process, feedback provides both sides insight into the things they do correctly and things they could do better. Great feedback is usually given in a private, one-on-one setting. So, to hold the best one-on-one meetings be empathetic and don’t just provide feedback, ask for it. Be mindful of employees’ feelings and never critique their personality, but behavior!
Tip #6: Learn how to listen
An important aspect of boosting productivity is learning how to listen. Being heard boosts productivity in over 60% of cases! The numbers are too large to ignore, so learn how to listen to your employees. A lot of managers think that they know the best, just because they are the managers. Put your ego aside, and listen to what your employees have to say. They might provide fantastic ideas that will make work easier.
Including your teammates in the decision-making process and taking their ideas into consideration will make them want to contribute more to the workplace. Besides listening, be there for them! Sympathy in the workplace can transform the culture and make it more enjoyable for all.
Boosting productivity Tip #7: Implement two-way communication
Whether the companies are big or small, most practice top-down communication. Even though this type used to work a couple of decades ago, things have changed. Now is the right time to keep up with the trends and implement two-way communication that will boost productivity.
In businesses where employees have more contact with clients and customers, having rules set by managers and bosses seems irresponsible towards your business! So, before you implement a novelty, always ask employees what they think about it. When their opinions matter, they are more likely to accept the change and work towards the goal.
Tip #8: Keep everyone informed
If your goal is to run a more productive team, you need to keep every member informed, whether you have 2 or 200 teammates. However, sometimes this isn’t easy as bombarding them with information in person or continuously scheduling meetings can seriously disrupt their workflow. But how many times have you heard that a task wasn’t completed because they didn’t have enough information?
Put an end to that by keeping the entire team informed. Instead of spamming their inbox, consider implementing intranet solutions where they’ll be able to access all the information they need, anytime and anywhere. Such platforms will increase productivity as well as the data flow, which will make your employees more engaged at work.
Boosting productivity Tip #9: Implement team activities
To work as a productive team, you must first become a team. The truth is we can’t always choose who will become a member of the team we’re running. So, learning how to overcome differences and work towards the goal is essential for productivity. Team activities can help us with that!
Sometimes resting your mind from work to indulge in team activities, such as team building, dinner and drinks after hours, or various picnics and sports activities. Such events can bring your team members together, relax them from work and boost their productivity in the future.
Tip #10: Create a pleasant work environment
Working in a toxic environment can certainly affect productivity. If your team is constantly under stress, they won’t be as efficient and motivated as you want them to be. Since the work environment isn’t something that’s talked about often, you need to learn how it affects your employees. So, what can you do?
To create a pleasant work environment, stop paying too much attention to who made the mistake, instead aim your energy towards finding a solution together with your team. It’s unnatural to expect everyone to be smiley and happy all the time, but introducing some boundaries creates a healthier environment to work in.
Boosting productivity Tip #11: Reward and appreciate
Most people are motivated by rewards. When we receive rewards, praise, and appreciation, our brain releases happy hormones that want us to push harder and work more. So, rewarding your employees from time to time can be a good way of boosting their productivity!
Even though monetary rewards are desirable, other benefits, such as childcare, great healthcare insurance, or additional days off are extremely important for retention and job satisfaction. In addition to that, praising employees for their great work can greatly improve their will to work and motivation. So, keep up the good work!
Tip #12: Work-life balance
No matter how much we would want to, being productive all the time simply isn’t possible! With accumulated stress, our brains start to lose focus, which leads to poor results, no productivity, and motivation for work. This emotional and mental state can even lead to severe depression! So, prevent that from happening by encouraging work-life balance for your employees. What does that mean?
Motivate your employees to do their job during work hours, and don’t contact them afterward. Encourage hobbies and spending time with their families to recharge batteries and come back rested and ready! Work-life balance will eventually increase productivity and keep your employees more satisfied with work.
Boosting productivity Tip #13: Provide autonomy
Last, but not least, if you want your employees to be productive and motivated to contribute to the workplace, provide them autonomy. Even though giving them freedom can be scary for a lot of employers, allowing them to make some decisions and organize their work will result in increased productivity. But what happens if they are slacking off?
Chances are valuable team members won’t slack off when given the freedom to organize their workflow and make decisions. The biggest mistake you can make there is micro-manage, which will cause the greatest experts in your team to feel suffocated and be less efficient. So, provide autonomy and measure results to achieve the best combination for all!
Final thoughts
As you can see, the productivity of your team depends on a lot of things, and you are one of the key factors that affect it! So, try to implement all the tips given here to lead a happier, healthier, and more productive team that will complete their tasks and reach the given goals.
