We all know when the day has been really productive, and we have all had days where we knew we could have done more. The high-productivity days feel great, and the low-productivity days lead to feelings of frustration.
In a search for better performance, business leaders are always looking for ways to increase workplace productivity. They not only want to maximize their own efficiency, but also they want to find ways to get more out of their team. Beyond just getting employee feedback and checking in with your team, there are further measures that can be taken that lead to better performances at work.
Unfortunately, the secret to improving job performance can be elusive. People are different, and what may work for one person is not always going to work for others. Worse yet, many people have false assumptions about what drives productivity, and they end up doing things that are counter-productive.
What strategies do succeed, though, can seem surprising. Below are the best methods for improving productivity in the workplace. They are probably not what you imagined.
No Need to Spread the Talent Around
Some companies are just more productive than others. When Bain & Company studied productivity in the tech sector, they found that companies like Apple, Google and Dell were 40% more productive than the industry average.
The first assumption when hearing this is that they attract and hire the most productive people, so they enjoy greater productivity. When you look at the numbers, you see that they actually hire about the same percentage of top-tier talent as their competitors. The real difference is how they use their most talented employees.
Most businesses spread their talent throughout the company, placing top performers in a variety of different roles. Counter to this standard, the high-productivity companies identify projects and jobs that are critical to the success of the organization, and move the top-tier talent into these vital positions. By prioritizing the use of talent for the most critical positions, these companies increase productivity.
Set A Low Baseline To Measure Productivity
If you can’t see whether your efforts are having an impact, it will be next to impossible to find the right formula for increased productivity. You need to find a way to measure your gains if you want to develop a successful strategy.
To start, you need to set a baseline to measure against. Once you have established a baseline for your company’s normal productivity, you can then define new targets for increasing productivity in the future.
After that, you need to define the tasks that actually account for real productivity. These are the tasks that result in progress toward the larger goals. You have to separate these tasks from work that may be necessary, but does not lead to advancement toward the primary goal.
Finally, you want to track individual performance. By setting a baseline and defining the appropriate tasks, you should be able to measure employee performance and find your top performers.
Don’t Focus Too Much
Maintaining focus is an important part of productivity, but your brain can only take so much. Forcing yourself to stay focused for too long can exhaust the mind, and this can lead to poor decision making and reduced productivity.
Instead of staying in a state of constant focus, you need to allow your mind time to relax. By allowing your mind to move out of focus, you can re-energize and increase your ability to re-focus when you need it. Doing so can also boost your creativity and your decision-making abilities.
Start the Day by Being Less Productive
Too many people try to start the day off at a sprint. We find ourselves checking our emails and schedules before we even get out of bed. In this attempt to start being productive right from our first waking moment, we end up reducing our ability to be productive throughout the day.
If you have to engage in work activities early in the morning, try to limit it to the essentials. Give yourself time to wake up before jumping right into work, and try to allocate some morning time for yourself.
Step Out of the 9-5 Mold
If your schedule is flexible, try to manage your days based on the times when you are most productive. Some people are early risers, and they can start being productive from the earliest hours of the day, but some people do their best work late at night.
If you are a person that works best in the evenings, you should embrace it. Stay up late to take advantage of your most productive hours, and sleep late the next day. Finish these late nights by planning your schedule for the next day, and you will be able to wake up well-rested and ready to make more progress toward your goals.
Conclusion
As mentioned before, there is no single formula that is going to work for every person or for every business. We are individuals, and different things work for different people. Often, what works best is outside the norm in terms of what’s expected according to industry standards. You just need to find what works for you, and take steps to keep your eye on the results.
I hope you enjoyed this article about unexpected ways to increase productivity at your company.
Interested in more articles about improving business efficiency?
Read My Posts:
- 5 Tips To Improve Small Business Efficiency
- Spend Less & Achieve More With Productive Practices
More Bootstrap Business Blog Below
I hope you enjoyed this article about unexpected ways to increase productivity at your company.
Interested in more articles about improving business efficiency?
Read My Posts:
- 5 Tips To Improve Small Business Efficiency
- Spend Less & Achieve More With Productive Practices
More Bootstrap Business Blog Below
