September 19, 2019 How to Boost Productivity

Increasing productivity can have a powerful impact on your business, but you must use effective strategies that benefit employees too.

Photo by ROOM on Unsplash

September 18, 2019

Every business owner wants to increase productivity, but this can be challenging. You do not want to drive your employees into the ground and put too much pressure on their shoulders, as this can have an adverse effect and create a negative working environment. This means that you need to find other ways to increase productivity in the workplace and, fortunately, there are many effective strategies for this. Increasing productivity in a healthy manner can improve the efficiency of your operation, have a positive impact on your bottom line and develop a positive working culture that can inspire and motivate.

Assess Each Process

First, it is a good idea to get a complete overview of each stage of the operation and analyse each process. Think about if the process is completely necessary to the operation and if there are any changes that could be made – even a small change early on could have a significant impact further down the line. It is important that you work with department heads while doing this, as they will have a better idea of bottlenecks and how to overcome different issues.

Use the Right Technology & Tools

Productivity can be improved drastically through the use of technology and tools, but you need to make sure that you are using the right types for the best results. There have been many excellent technological advances in recent times, so it is worth familiarizing yourself with the latest tech and staying current with the latest news. Automation is one area that is certainly worth looking into, as this can have a huge impact on productivity and reduce errors. Additionally, automation does not have to lead to job losses as you might think, because it takes care of the repetitive work while employees focus on other areas of the business.

Improve Workplace Conditions

You cannot expect employees to work to their full potential each day if they are not working in the right conditions. Ensure that your workplace has lots of natural light, it is a comfortable temperature and there is enough space for your employees to carry out their roles. You should also make it a welcoming space with areas for relaxing, decoration and plant life.

Goal Setting

A smart business owner will always use goals to push the company forward. Setting regular and achievable yet challenging individual and team goals is an effective strategy for keeping everyone motivated and focused, which is key for improving productivity. In order for this strategy to be effective, it is essential that any goal that is achieved is recognized and celebrated in some form.

Provide Support & Reinforcement

Following on from this, you also need to make sure that you provide support, motivation and reinforcement for your team. An employee is much more likely to thrive in their position if they feel supported and that they have a good working relationship with their boss. This is also key for creating a positive workplace culture with open communication and a team-based mentality.

Use Employee Engagement Software

Employee engagement software from specialists like Inpulse is a great way to boost productivity and help your employees feel valued. This software makes it easy for staff to weigh-in and offer their ideas on all kinds of work-related issues, which can help you identify ways to increase productivity, make informed business decisions and allow employees to feel like they are listened to and an important part of the system.

Team-Building

In order for a business operation to be productive, employees will need to work well alongside one another. This is something that can be developed through team-building, which can take time but delivers powerful results. Additionally, regular team-building can help to develop friendships and create a tight-knit workgroup, which is important for morale and creating a positive workplace environment. Both organised team-building events and informal social events can be effective at developing a unified workforce.

If you want to improve productivity in the workplace, these are all highly effective strategies and combining a few of these could have a powerful impact on the entire company. Increasing productivity is a great way to drive success, but you need to be intelligent with your approach, as simply demanding more from staff is dangerous and could backfire. Instead, you need to nurture staff, create the right environment and find ways to make their jobs easier. This way, you will achieve increased productivity while keeping morale high.

Steve Conway

Steve Conway is a content marketing professional and inbound marketing expert. Previously, Steve worked as a marketing manager for a tech software start-up. He is passionate about discovering new software that will that will advance his already well-honed digital marketing techniques.

Subscribe to Industry Today