Increase Staff Morale to Increase Productivity
I am often asked how to boost productivity in the workplace.
In this article, I hope to address this question and offer you some strategies to use at work in order to get more done with less effort or less time.
Recent studies have suggested that remote working has increased productivity by 47% despite not actually being in the workplace.
But while this news is welcome for any business owners, plans are afoot across the country for a staged return to the office to not only boost morale but to allow for a return to normal.
While there is no denying that for some businesses, remote working has worked well, the ability to collaborate in person and boost productivity is often thought to be the superior way of working.
However, if you are looking to get employees back into the office and retain that productivity, this post has some ideas on how you can achieve this.
Delegate
Effective management teams and individuals know the value of delegating tasks to suitable skilled or experienced employees.
Micromanaging or controlling everything yourself can be time-consuming.
Allowing others to take control and manage certain tasks or aspects of the business can allow you to put your time where it is needed, while safe in the knowledge that everything is being taken care of.
Set Goals
What exactly is it you are working towards? What goals do you have to reach these goals?
If your employees have nothing tangible to work towards, then there is nothing to aim for, don’t you agree?
One way to enforce goals and stay on target is to make sure your goals are “SMART”.
Specific – Measurable – Attainable – Realistic – Timely.
Another option is to install an OKR framework that can help your business development goals be attainable and beneficial.
Offer Incentives
Giving employees an incentive to be more efficient is one of the most effective methods to inspire them.
Recognizing your employees for a job well done makes them feel valued and encourages them to boost their productivity.
When thinking about how to reward effective staff, remember to consider their specific needs or preferences.
While some might be satisfied with a thank you and recognition of a job well done, others may need a different method of validation for their efforts.
Training
Training and employee development opportunities and programs are still the best ways to get the best from your employees.
Employees who feel like they have been given the tools and knowledge to do their jobs well will typically perform better. They will take less time to ask for assistance or find the answer to an issue they might be having.
One of the main reasons people leave employment is their not feeling valued or that their efforts are not appreciated.
Training can help foster a healthy working environment where you are considerate of your employees and proactive in supporting them in their job roles.
Identify Employee Skills
How are you utilising your employees? Do you know where their talents lie and what they excel at?
Finding this out and allowing them to pursue ways of working in ways best suited to them as individuals can be highly beneficial to your business.
Placing an outgoing and friendly member of staff on customer service duties while someone who has developed high levels of organisation and managing workflows and collecting data can be two examples of putting your employees where they can thrive and benefit your company the most.
Final Thoughts
An aver-arching theme in the question of how to boost productivity in the workplace, tends to almost always boil down to focusing on the individuality of your members of staff.
Giving incentives and training specifically directed towards the individual skills and interests of staff, shows more care and thought from management.
And, therefore, creates a better employer-employee relationship overall.
