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We are often reminded that great success takes an abundance of hard work and dedication, and while many of us would rather our goals were met by mere miracle or dropped from the sky by chance, there is plenty of evidence to suggest truth in that familiar ‘hard work equals results’ sentiment.
After all, the best things usually take the most effort. Though with strict workplace habits fading into the past, distractions galore at our very fingertips and work-life balance becoming a top priority, many companies are left deciphering the modern meaning of hard work and how they can keep employees both engaged and productive.
Hint: No - you do not need to track your employee’s computer activity to encourage productivity. That will likely have the opposite effect once they figure out ‘big brother’ is monitoring them so intently.
Instead, it’s probably better to remember that as much as a business needs to continually progress, meet challenges and embrace its independent talents to thrive, so do employees.
So, rather than watching them like a hawk, we have some useful tips that can help to uplift team efficiency, entice employee attention and motivate overall happiness in the virtual or real-life office.
Ensure individual team members feel valued and appreciated
There is no doubt that a good manager makes their team feel important when it comes to the task at hand. Confidence brings constructive outcomes, and though we may just think of that essence on a relationship or personal level, employees need to feel inner confidence at work too.
Say ‘thank you’ often and don’t hesitate to commend a job well done frequently. If an employee feels good about themselves and the work they do daily, there’s a decent chance they’ll want to maintain that persona and feel more contented in the process. Breaking down their self-esteem and diminishing their value isn’t the trick to getting more productive results, it’s the trick to reducing them.
Set goals and specific deadlines
Sure, we all sneer at a looming deadline, but they do make many of us work faster. Set goals and deadlines that are realistic and catch up with your team to share progress. Make sure not to overdo it though, a micro-manager is nobody’s friend.
Encourage your team to be collaborative
Getting a group together, small or large, can be a great way to brainstorm ideas and share valuable ways of working. Though some are introverts by nature, people generally work smarter as a group. Extra brainpower goes a long way and social interaction can promote positive energy.
Be an optimist
It helps to speak optimistically and with a positive mindset, because negativity brings down not only the general mood but also lessens output. When a job feels exciting and inspiring, it stimulates activity. Make sure employees are a part of the process and help them to understand the impact their job can have on the entirety of the company.
Break, work, break
Overloading work and limiting break time will cause anyone to run out of steam. Our brains need frequent breaks in order to function at their finest. Suggest coffee chats, make a point of taking lunch breaks and suggest employees use all of their holiday time. Without these much-needed time-outs, agitation and laziness usually kick in.
Discuss development routes
As a business, it’s easy to get lost in the whole rigmarole of what needs doing and when, though if the people doing the work don’t feel like there’s anywhere to progress in their career and it just feels like an endless checklist, then they will feel less a part of the team and more so just a worker. Make sure you speak frequently to employees about their development. What have they excelled in? What do they need to progress in? How do they get to the next stage?
Limit unnecessary meetings
Meetings can be a great platform to discuss initiatives and monitor tasks, though too many can interrupt prime work hours. Make sure your employees actually have enough time in the day to do the work that’s set out for them, and that only the required meetings are filling up their calendars.
There’s no changing the simple fact that hard work is necessary for a business to succeed; however, the era of all-nighters in the office and 24/7 attention are unattainable and can really affect mental health. The way we work has transformed over time, and so companies must adapt to the ways they inspire employees who have so many available interferences.
You can get a lot out of employees by following any of these suggestions. But of all the different ways that you can encourage workplace productivity, the most crucial thing to remember is that your most productive employee is often your happiest one.
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