One thing many business owners can agree on is the need for more productivity within their business. It might be because you want to make yourself more accountable to the time you spend and how you spend it. Or maybe you are hoping to make any staff you have more accountable themselves and to make the working environment more enjoyable. Whatever your motive is for more productivity, you may be wondering how you go about getting it? The truth is, it is easier than you may think to increase your own levels and that of others.
I thought I would share with you what 13 of them are to boost business productivity.
Start With Yourself
There are only so many hours in the day, so making the most of this time you have in your business is vital. The thing is, you're either put more hours in or make better use of the time you have. So here are some of the ways you can increase your own productivity levels in the business and working environment.
Say No To Meetings
Let’s be honest here, meetings can be hugely beneficial within a business to discuss important subjects and plans for the future. But are they vital every day? What happens when a meeting becomes a meeting about meetings. If you are still following me, then you may be able to agree that often, these so-called meetings can be a bit of a waste of time. The best advice, before booking, or agreeing to a meeting yourself, is to ask yourself whether the task needing to be discussed can’t be completed via the phone or on email. The beauty of these sorts of tasks is that once they are completed, they are done, freeing up more of your time to do other things.
Consider Stand Up Meetings
If a meeting is necessary to do discuss something important then why not consider holding a strand up meeting instead? The problem with a normal environment for a meeting is that you sit down on a chair and in many cases, you listen. But there are studies to support that you are more engaged, you are more creative, and you are far more focused on something if you are standing up. Therefore, a standing meeting could be the answer to reducing the time spent, while still having that necessary conversation and discussion about something that was important.
Quit The Multitasking
People can be fooled into thinking that if you are multitasking, you are doing a fine job of keeping everything under control. The truth is, multitasking can often mean that you are doing several jobs mediocre rather than one job brilliantly. Kind of like being a jack of all trades and a master of none. There are actual reports that suggest spending more time doing more things all at once, can make you less productive on the whole. Which is why multitasking can actually be quite bad for your productive levels. You become a sort of busy fool, not getting much accomplished but running yourself into the ground.
Take Regular Breaks
You may be wondering why a break is going to make your more productive. Wouldn’t that be a little counterintuitive? But the truth is, regular breaks are very worthwhile for productivity levels. There has been some research to suggest that taking regular naps during a long and mind occupying task can make your more focused and increase concentration levels. Perhaps, in turn, helping you to complete the task quickly and efficiently in less time, than it would to not take the breaks and drag yourself down with it.
Track Your Time
Wouldn't it be great if you could rescue your time from other tasks that take it up? The thing is, throughout the day, there are times where you are not working. You are not resting or eating, you simply could be wasting time. Perhaps that minute scrolling through social media. Or the time it takes to answer and complete a personal phone call. Not to mention how long it actually takes to do the tasks we want to complete. A good tip is to really try and time manage yourself a little better. Look at how long things actually take to complete, and if you can achieve them within the specified time you think it takes. Having a better handle on how much time you spend on tasks enables you to plan your day effectively. Getting the most out of the time you do have, rather than wasting it.
Turn Off The Notifications
Not all of us have the mega power that is resisting a ping on our phone that alerts us of a new email, a Facebook notification or if someone has liked the image you have just posted to Instagram. We are all human after all, and we can certainly be dragged into the allure of the unexpected that our phone delivers with notifications. However, this can be counterproductive to the time you have for doing the things you want to achieve. In some cases, people have seen a big increase in their productivity levels by simply switching off the notifications on their phones. Those comments and emails will be there for when you have the time to peruse them at your leisure.
Give Yourself Something Nice To Look At
Finally, as a treat for yourself make your working environment inviting and a place you want to work in. Giving yourself something nice to look at may seem distracting, but actually, this can help you to become more focused as you have created the very best environment for your to work in. Things like plants, great artwork, or even choosing an office with a view, can all be ways of providing you inspiration and motivation to do what needs to be done. Sourced
Focus On Your Employees
Of course, a business can’t be run from just one person, and as you grow, you will start to take on team members who you hope will share the same drive and determination as you do. However, you have less control over somebody else's productivity levels because, of course, you aren’t the one pulling the strings. So here are just a few suggestions to help you build up that team morale and enable you to get more from your staff during the working day.
Give Your Staff Some Choices
People do like to have a say in how the workday is shaped, and giving your staff some flexibility and a choice in this could make them far more flexible and productive with their time. There have been recent studies that suggest giving an employee the choice of when to work, where and how to do it, means that they take full ownership of their job role, and in turn are far more accountable to what they deliver. While in some situations you can’t always offer this open scheme of working, you could, however, incorporate flexible working hours, or something similar, to help incentivize your staff to make better use of the time they spend in the workplace.
Be Nice To Them
Sometimes when it comes to staff productivity levels, there is only so much applications and software systems can tell you. Sure you can understand how long someone is spending on a task, or how much work is being completed, but does this give you the full picture? Possibly not. A very well-known businessman Michael Elias prides himself on the approach of being nicer to employees and working with them not against them. It makes for better results out of your team and a nicer working environment. Why not try it today? You may find that you learn more about your team and can be more in tune with their productivity levels.
Reward And Recognize
It is human nature to respond positively to recognition and praise. But yet people on the workplace still don’t take advantage of this point. Giving someone a pat on the back for their hard work or actually telling them they have done something well is a huge motivator to continue to keep up the good work. A great way to regularly bring this into your working environment is to keep track of targets and discuss results. Providing recognition and praise when it is due and helping team members struggling so that they can be more productive next month.
Encourage Some Of The Things You Are Doing Yourself
Finally, just as we discussed earlier about the many ways you can improve your own productivity levels, some of these can be used for your employees as well. Ensure you encourage regular breaks and get them to quit their multitasking. Being proactive and selective with meetings should, in theory, free up more time for your staff to do the things that matter. Encourage them to track their time and how much time they spend doing different things and finally, switching off the notifications themselves so they don’t get easily distracted.
Conclusion
Start With Yourself
There are only so many hours in the day, so making the most of this time you have in your business is vital. The thing is, you're either put more hours in or make better use of the time you have. So here are some of the ways you can increase your own productivity levels in the business and working environment.
Say No To Meetings
Let’s be honest here, meetings can be hugely beneficial within a business to discuss important subjects and plans for the future. But are they vital every day? What happens when a meeting becomes a meeting about meetings. If you are still following me, then you may be able to agree that often, these so-called meetings can be a bit of a waste of time. The best advice, before booking, or agreeing to a meeting yourself, is to ask yourself whether the task needing to be discussed can’t be completed via the phone or on email. The beauty of these sorts of tasks is that once they are completed, they are done, freeing up more of your time to do other things.
Consider Stand Up Meetings
If a meeting is necessary to do discuss something important then why not consider holding a strand up meeting instead? The problem with a normal environment for a meeting is that you sit down on a chair and in many cases, you listen. But there are studies to support that you are more engaged, you are more creative, and you are far more focused on something if you are standing up. Therefore, a standing meeting could be the answer to reducing the time spent, while still having that necessary conversation and discussion about something that was important.
Quit The Multitasking
People can be fooled into thinking that if you are multitasking, you are doing a fine job of keeping everything under control. The truth is, multitasking can often mean that you are doing several jobs mediocre rather than one job brilliantly. Kind of like being a jack of all trades and a master of none. There are actual reports that suggest spending more time doing more things all at once, can make you less productive on the whole. Which is why multitasking can actually be quite bad for your productive levels. You become a sort of busy fool, not getting much accomplished but running yourself into the ground.
Take Regular Breaks
You may be wondering why a break is going to make your more productive. Wouldn’t that be a little counterintuitive? But the truth is, regular breaks are very worthwhile for productivity levels. There has been some research to suggest that taking regular naps during a long and mind occupying task can make your more focused and increase concentration levels. Perhaps, in turn, helping you to complete the task quickly and efficiently in less time, than it would to not take the breaks and drag yourself down with it.
Track Your Time
Wouldn't it be great if you could rescue your time from other tasks that take it up? The thing is, throughout the day, there are times where you are not working. You are not resting or eating, you simply could be wasting time. Perhaps that minute scrolling through social media. Or the time it takes to answer and complete a personal phone call. Not to mention how long it actually takes to do the tasks we want to complete. A good tip is to really try and time manage yourself a little better. Look at how long things actually take to complete, and if you can achieve them within the specified time you think it takes. Having a better handle on how much time you spend on tasks enables you to plan your day effectively. Getting the most out of the time you do have, rather than wasting it.
Turn Off The Notifications
Not all of us have the mega power that is resisting a ping on our phone that alerts us of a new email, a Facebook notification or if someone has liked the image you have just posted to Instagram. We are all human after all, and we can certainly be dragged into the allure of the unexpected that our phone delivers with notifications. However, this can be counterproductive to the time you have for doing the things you want to achieve. In some cases, people have seen a big increase in their productivity levels by simply switching off the notifications on their phones. Those comments and emails will be there for when you have the time to peruse them at your leisure.
Give Yourself Something Nice To Look At
Finally, as a treat for yourself make your working environment inviting and a place you want to work in. Giving yourself something nice to look at may seem distracting, but actually, this can help you to become more focused as you have created the very best environment for your to work in. Things like plants, great artwork, or even choosing an office with a view, can all be ways of providing you inspiration and motivation to do what needs to be done. Sourced
Focus On Your Employees
Of course, a business can’t be run from just one person, and as you grow, you will start to take on team members who you hope will share the same drive and determination as you do. However, you have less control over somebody else's productivity levels because, of course, you aren’t the one pulling the strings. So here are just a few suggestions to help you build up that team morale and enable you to get more from your staff during the working day.
Give Your Staff Some Choices
People do like to have a say in how the workday is shaped, and giving your staff some flexibility and a choice in this could make them far more flexible and productive with their time. There have been recent studies that suggest giving an employee the choice of when to work, where and how to do it, means that they take full ownership of their job role, and in turn are far more accountable to what they deliver. While in some situations you can’t always offer this open scheme of working, you could, however, incorporate flexible working hours, or something similar, to help incentivize your staff to make better use of the time they spend in the workplace.
Be Nice To Them
Sometimes when it comes to staff productivity levels, there is only so much applications and software systems can tell you. Sure you can understand how long someone is spending on a task, or how much work is being completed, but does this give you the full picture? Possibly not. A very well-known businessman Michael Elias prides himself on the approach of being nicer to employees and working with them not against them. It makes for better results out of your team and a nicer working environment. Why not try it today? You may find that you learn more about your team and can be more in tune with their productivity levels.
Reward And Recognize
It is human nature to respond positively to recognition and praise. But yet people on the workplace still don’t take advantage of this point. Giving someone a pat on the back for their hard work or actually telling them they have done something well is a huge motivator to continue to keep up the good work. A great way to regularly bring this into your working environment is to keep track of targets and discuss results. Providing recognition and praise when it is due and helping team members struggling so that they can be more productive next month.
Encourage Some Of The Things You Are Doing Yourself
Finally, just as we discussed earlier about the many ways you can improve your own productivity levels, some of these can be used for your employees as well. Ensure you encourage regular breaks and get them to quit their multitasking. Being proactive and selective with meetings should, in theory, free up more time for your staff to do the things that matter. Encourage them to track their time and how much time they spend doing different things and finally, switching off the notifications themselves so they don’t get easily distracted.
Conclusion
I hope that these tips enable you to make your business more productive. Both with yourself and for anyone you have working for you. Even just trying a few methods out could dramatically change the course of your working day.
I hope you enjoyed this article about quick ways to improve your small business productivity.
Interested in more articles about improving efficiency?
Read My Posts:
- 5 Tips To Improve Small Business Efficiency
- 6 Productivity Hacks For Lean Entrepreneurs
More Bootstrap Business Blog Below
I hope you enjoyed this article about quick ways to improve your small business productivity.
Interested in more articles about improving efficiency?
Read My Posts:
- 5 Tips To Improve Small Business Efficiency
- 6 Productivity Hacks For Lean Entrepreneurs
More Bootstrap Business Blog Below
