With so many distractions, whether from social media, mobile phones, or merely everyday goings-on, the modern office is quickly becoming an increasingly harder place to maintain productivity.
In this article, we’re going to take a look through some tested and proven techniques for improving workplace productivity.
Consider time tracking
If your business works with clients, the chances are that you use time tracking already.
Not only does this let you keep updated on which projects are on-track, but it can also help people concentrate on their work at hand.
Whether with Harvest, Wrike, or Hubstaff, time tracking allows managers to monitor productivity and efficiency.
What’s more, with certain apps, you can even assign tasks and activities to selected members of staff.
Communication apps such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Twist, are also great for communication with team members, whether they’re onsite, with a client, or on the other side of the world.
Set small goals in between the larger ones
Most companies will work on huge projects and for multiple clients, which means that completing goals can be hard.
But by breaking them down into smaller and more workable goals, staff can actually find it easier to visualise their place within the workplace.
Project management tools such as Basecamp, Trello, Monday, and Asana are great for breaking down individual elements of tasks and working with people to see where the team is as a whole.
Work at reducing stress
Workplace stress is no joke and it can have a huge impact on not only productivity, but also the health of your staff.
Encourage your staff to eat healthily and introduce workout sessions. Some workplaces offer employees free fruit and treats, while others take them out for monthly meals at local restaurants.
Not only does eating healthy food make staff more productive, but it encourages wellbeing and helps encourage positivity.
Avoid micromanaging
Although some might consider time tracking as micromanagement, if used properly, it should be a positive influence on your workforce and your productivity as a whole.
Micromanagement can often be tempting for new managers and bosses, but jobs where demands are high, and control is minimal, it can have a negative impact on staff.
In fact, a recent study has even shown that micromanagement is associated with a 15.4 per cent increased chance of death.
With that in mind, there are ways of avoiding micromanagement, which can help improve productivity, including:
- Setting goals and KPIs together.
- Encouraging an open and transparent relationship.
- Recognising the personal and professional achievements of employees.
- Offer constructive feedback on results that are both positive and negative.
Say goodbye to bad habits
Everyone has vices in the workplace, whether this is zoning out on social media, chatting, or chatting without thinking, but by being positive, focussing on what you can control, and encouraging positivity, you can weed out bad habits – whether they are your own or those of your staff.
Check out this WikiHow article on getting rid of workplace habits to improve productivity.
