Everyone in leadership is aware that productivity is an often discussed subject. Increased productivity is the end goal that everyone strives for, regardless of what you’re doing to make yourself more productive or what’s hindering it.
It takes a lot of work, effort, try and error to increase your team’s productivity; there is no automatic solution to do it. Even while there are several publications on “productivity hacks” and other fast remedies, they rarely work when put to the test.
What is Team productivity?
The term “productivity” refers to how much an individual or team produces as output. For people, it’s typically expressed in terms of how much they can produce or do in a single day.
At the corporate level, team productivity refers to how many projects or given tasks team members perform. It can also refer to the number of chats or issues processed in a day in a queue-based position like support.
The productivity of an employee and their value are often correlated for many businesses. An individual will advance in their career more swiftly than someone who does not if they are extremely productive and routinely contribute to the broader company mission. Being productive is therefore beneficial to the employee as well as the organisation.
How to Boost Team Output at Work?
Productivity improvement is not the same as juicing an orange. It’s not like you’ll get more juice if you press more firmly. If you squeeze too hard, the juice will eventually run out.
Instead, how much you can empower your team will determine how much productivity you can increase. Team members that feel empowered and confident accomplish more and work harder than those who don’t. Here are seven strategies to empower your team and increase output.
1. Praise quality over quantity
When it comes to the workplace, recognition is crucial. Any effective team manager or leader takes the time to acknowledge the effort and hard work that their team members put forth. At the team level, at stand-ups or meetings, or at the corporate level during all-hands or annual events, this acknowledgment can take place.
Try to place more emphasis on quality efforts than the quantity of a body of work when you acknowledge good work and contributions. Consider, for instance, a team member who answers a lot of tickets but has a low customer satisfaction rating. Another team member might reply to less tickets but receive 100% positive feedback from clients. In this case, it’s preferable to focus your compliments on the team member who produced the higher-caliber work.
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The first team member is addressing a lot of tickets, which is excellent, but they aren’t doing it with the customers’ needs in mind. Praise for the latter performance over the former encourages the rest of your team to follow suit.
2. Follow All Developments
Keep tabs on the tasks your team is working on and the progress they have made so far. This tracking might be reported in a project management app like Trello or Asana, but you could also discuss it in team meetings or daily stand-ups. To encourage ownership and accountability for projects, you can urge people to share their efforts with the group.
Set goals and monitor your progress as you near them. To advance toward the bigger goal, ask team members to develop more manageable milestones. Then, make sure they report on their progress as you come closer to the deadline for completion.
3. Hold Regular Meetings
How can you be productive if your calendar is filled to the brim with meetings? This suggestion might seem counterintuitive. Your team members will benefit greatly from regular meetings where they can connect and discuss the projects they are working on.
The more people discuss their work, the more chances they have to hear different viewpoints and criticism on it. A great method for the person in charge of a project to keep getting better.
4. Establish a Wholesome Work Environment
Rarely does someone function at their best when under constant, persistent stress. Your team members won’t work well or efficiently if they are continually stressed out or on the verge of burnout.
Make sure your team members are aware that taking breaks is acceptable, and foster a culture of balance within your team or organisation. While it’s necessary to monitor projects to make sure they’re moving forward, it’s just as crucial to inquire about the personal wellbeing of your team members. Schedule one-on-one time to discuss personal matters, such as whether or not your team members are content. Are they able to spend time with their families? What kind of pastimes do they enjoy most? Through offsite activities and social gatherings, you may also create environments where your staff can interact outside of the office.
Your team members will be more energised and prepared to work hard when you promote a life outside of work and make sure they take time to enjoy it. Your staff is more likely to experience burnout if all you do is stress how important work is and make them put in extra long hours.