A company’s productivity depends on the conduct of its workers and managers. Both sides need to collaborate to help the business achieve its long-term goals and provide efficient, impactful service to clients. These are some of the best ways to improve your office’s productivity and promote positive changes in the workplace.
Do Away with Autocratic Leadership
In autocratic business societies, the manager gives rules and orders and expects them to be followed without any opposition. This type of behavior can demotivate workers and lower their productivity.
Nowadays, employees want the freedom to add their input to a task or project. That way, they feel that management acknowledges their skills and takes them seriously. Move your business operations towards more of a democratic system; your employees will take kindly to this!
Encourage Breaks
Doing the same thing over and over again for several hours a day, several days a week can be mentally exhausting. Even if a task is as simple as entering data into a spreadsheet, it can be detrimental for workers to put in effort without rest. When this happens, productivity levels tank.
The best way to improve task productivity is for managers and team leaders to encourage short breaks in between brainstorming sessions. The breaks can be in the form of exercises or a short walk outside.
Minimize Meetings
Unless it is really necessary, managers should reduce the number of meetings that they have with their subordinates. Leaders call for meetings because they have something important to share with team members, not for check-ins that could easily be done via email or Slack.
To save time and improve productivity, managers should call at least one meeting every month. They should consider other modes of communication, like email or direct messaging, if they want to say something quick but important to a worker.
Phones Should be Silent
Phones are the biggest distractions in the office. A worker can be tempted to go through their social media feeds because they received a notification or phone call.
Managers should create rules that limit the use of smartphones in the workplace. They could restrict the placement of phones on the workstation because what someone doesn’t see can’t distract them. The workers should also put their phones on silent when in the office. That way, they avoid bothersome notifications.
Improving office productivity demands discipline from employees and managers. The leaders should create an environment that encourages creative thinking and minimizes time wastage through pointless meetings. Employees should put their phones away when they enter the office and take short breaks in between work to minimize mental exhaustion.