Business owners, managers, and leaders are always concerned about keeping their employees productive. They regularly check on their progress, ask for updates, or even watch as they work on their day-to-day tasks and responsibilities. Simply put, leaders play an important role in maintaining a productive workplace.

However, some strategies may not offer the best results. Better yet, some practices can even lead to burnout and negatively affect employees’ productivity. Establishing too stringent management practices can hinder productivity by stifling their creative freedom, autonomy, and flexibility. 

Taking this into consideration, team leaders or managers must know effective ways that can boost productivity in the workplace with negative consequences on employee motivation and well-being. At the same time, employees should take it up to themselves to build a productive work routine and habit. To help you with this, here are some of the proven tactics that you can use to help improve your team’s productivity at work. 

 

3 Proven Ways To Boost Workplace Productivity

 

Ensure employees’ motivation

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According to the latest research, dissatisfaction and demotivation are some of the most potent productivity killers at work. When an employee starts to feel unhappy with their work conditions, they slowly lose focus and interest in whatever they are doing. Taking this into account, leaders and managers must keep employee motivation high in their teams. But, what exactly is employee motivation?

Employee motivation is a term used to refer to a worker’s feelings of happiness, satisfaction, and contentment with their working conditions. It describes the enthusiasm, commitment, and energy level that an employee can put out in their work. A high level of employee motivation results in team members who are enthusiastic and committed to giving their best in every task that they do. 

There are generally two types of motivation that drive employees to perform at their best and be productive. Extrinsic motivation is the most common type found in the workplace. This includes monetary rewards, cash benefits, perks, awards, and recognition. 

On the other hand, intrinsic motivation is the type that drives an individual from within. An employee may feel driven and motivated to work because their tasks and responsibilities align with their deep-rooted belief. This includes beliefs such as acceptance, diversity, honor, and growth.  For a leader to motivate an employee intrinsically, it’s important that they know them personally and ensures that the company does not step over these qualities. 

 

Establish set guidelines, processes, and methodologies

A practical way to improve workplace productivity is to look at the things that hinder employees to be productive and efficient. If the work culture and environment do not encourage productivity, your employees will struggle regardless if they are skilled or motivated to do so.

Several factors affect productivity in the workplace. These are primarily distractions and challenges that make it difficult for employees to stay focused on the important tasks that need to be done. 

Establishing rules, regulations, or guidelines helps create a productive work culture that can increase the productivity of your employees. An example of this could be limiting the number of meetings every week. It could also be as simple as keeping the office space clean and quiet.

Putting set guidelines, processes, and methodologies can also be a way to improve the overall workflow in the office. It is a way to keep the team organized while also preventing communication issues, misunderstandings, and the like. Strive to create a business with set goals and guidelines for each of its functions so that members wouldn’t have to stray or question what needs to be done. 

 

Invest in upskilling employees

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When it comes to improving your team member’s productivity at work, one of the most effective ways would be to train them to be better. Learning and training are both essential in the business world. It allows people to understand and adapt to the ever-changing industry which contributes to the way they perform their responsibilities. 

While it’s expected that employees learn and develop their skills through their work experience, investing in training programs can streamline the journey to a much better and more efficient team performance. 

Look into helpful webinars and seminars that you can introduce to your employees. It can be as general as a seminar on time management strategies or it can be a technical training course on project management, strategic planning, and the like. 

Aside from that, open opportunities that allow and support an employee’s desire to train and upskill. When an employee comes to you asking for your permission to train and develop their skills outside of the four walls of the office, provide them the opportunity and support as long as it doesn’t meddle with or affect their current responsibilities.  

Create a work culture and environment that cultivates and encourages learning so that your employees would not be afraid to take steps to upskill and grow their careers with the company. At the end of the day, the training and growth your employees experience would still reflect in their work performance which benefits your company. 

 

Simple Tips and Tricks For Employees To Increase Productivity

Don’t want to spend your time on unproductive things? One way to increase your productivity is to let go of unproductive and distracting habits and practices. Find the best productivity hack in this list of tips and tricks that can help keep you productive.

 

  • Start your day with a routine that will help prepare your mind and body for work.
  • Practice different time management strategies that will help you stay focused for certain amounts of time to finish important tasks.
  • Create a comfortable and ergonomic workspace
  • Limit your access to things that may distract you from work such as social media, workplace chitchat, and the like.
  • Create a list of your goals, regardless of whether it’s long-term or short-term. This will help you better visualize your objectives.
  • Set a timer when working to avoid spending too much time on small or minute tasks. 
  • Avoid unnecessarily long meetings.
  • Do your best to communicate with your work colleagues digitally to avoid unrelated and unproductive chitchat.
  • Maintain work-life balance to avoid burnout.
  • Stop multitasking. Instead, practice monotasking to keep your mind solely focused on the task at mind.
  • Learn to be accountable for your time and other people’s time. 
  • Do not rush yourself into adopting a more organized and productive routine. Take small steps in breaking your unproductive habits until your new routine becomes your lifestyle.

 

Bottomline

Maintaining a productive workplace is not all about putting out strict rules and practicing a nearly authoritarian style of management. Instead of focusing on the results and deliverables of your team members as a measure of productivity, look into the quality of their experience and how certain factors influence the way they accomplish their tasks and meet their objectives. 

Always remember to prioritize your employee’s well-being and continuously strive to build a positive work culture and environment. Taking the necessary steps to keep your employees satisfied and motivated is one way to ensure that they are committed to their jobs and in turn, perform at the highest level. 

 

Want to find ways to improve your business’ productivity? Sidekicks is an on-demand virtual company and we’re eager to help visionaries and entrepreneurs like you. Get a free ebook and learn more about how we can help you by signing up for our newsletter. We also offer a free 30-minute consultation if you prefer something more personal.

 

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