WHAT ’ S KILLING ONE TEAM MEMBER ’ S

PRODUCTIVITY MAY BE THE

DRIVING FORCE BEHIND

ANOTHER ’ S . voucher . Taking the time to get to know what drives your team will inevitably result in incentives that keep them energised and motivated to get things done .

Optimise meetings and emails

For many employees , a day loaded with meetings isn ’ t great for knocking out that to-do list . Revamping meeting culture could be the key to unlocking productivity . With employees reporting that around 32 % of meetings they attend could be skipped , it ’ s key to assess whether your team members ’ motivation might be hindered by unnecessary calls . Our study with Dr Steve Rogelberg at the University of North Carolina found that employees spend 70 % of their time in ‘ unnecessary ’ meetings multitasking , suggesting that employees would rather attend to their to-do list than take part in calls that they deem unnecessary .

Before you send off those calendar invites , ask yourself if this meeting is really needed . You may find that you can communicate this information in an email that can be referenced later and save everyone time .

If regular meetings are crucial , try and trim the invite list to key members only , or reduce the meeting times to 15 – 20 minutes to cover key points and prevent unproductive discussions .

Stop micromanaging and start delegating

Constant supervision not only renders task delegation pointless , but it can even make employees feel demoralised or cause them to lose faith in their abilities .

Instead of micromanaging , focus on managing your own expectations and requirements . Provide realistic goals and outcomes and once you delegate , leave them to it . Your employees will feel trusted , more confident and more focused without someone looking over their shoulder and second-guessing their every step .

Implement anonymous employee surveys

Every employee is different . What ’ s killing one team member ’ s productivity may be the driving force behind another ’ s . Conduct short , regular surveys with your employees to ensure they ’ re feeling happy and supported . Some effective questions include :

• On a scale of 0 to 5 , how would you rate your work-life balance ?

• Do you have access to everything you need to effectively do your job ?

• Are you given enough opportunities to develop your skills ?

Creating an opportunity for everyone to quickly communicate their views , pain points and attitudes will help you realise what ’ s working and what needs a second look . Be sure to heed the advice and feedback you receive , too .

There are many schools of thought around the debate between anonymity and transparency . Critics see transparency as ‘ brave ’ but there is no right or wrong way to share constructive feedback .

Enforcing a culture of silence that doesn ’ t allow employees to share their point of view will ultimately lead to silent grudges , which is plainly bad for both employee productivity and business .

Make it a priority for everyone to be involved and have their voices heard .

Simplicity is key

The tips above might not seem hugely groundbreaking , but they are small changes that can make a big impact when it comes to productivity . With oncoming economic pressures , it ’ s never been more important to ‘ do more with less ’ – and recognising the issues that your workforce may be facing daily is key to ensuring employee wellbeing while driving efficiency .

Implementing these changes may not boost your team ’ s productivity overnight , but keeping your team comfortable , happy and supported can have a steady , lasting effect on employee efficiency , retention and productivity .

A wise team member once said to me that ‘ small improvements are still progress ’. Focusing on simple improvements will add up to create a big impact over time . �

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