A company’s treasure will always be the people driving it forward: its employees. The employees accomplish daily business operations, customer service, correspondence, and many other significant activities. It’s safe to say the staff and employees are the blood of the company: without them, a business will wither and die.
Even with all the technological advancements, especially in software, automation, and even artificial intelligence, the workforce is still an invaluable asset. That’s why for a business to grow, it’s essential to make sure the employees are empowered to do their best. Those who enjoy what they are doing often become more productive and efficient, increasing the production of the company.
However, with productivity as a goal, it’s easy to lose track of what’s right and unintentionally subject your employees to too much (and often pointless) hard work. When looking to improve productivity, it’s best to also think about maintaining the well-being of your employees. After all, any damage to them is also damage to your company. So what are the ways to increase productivity while keeping your employee’s well-being in mind? Here are a few tips:
Let Them Take Breaks, and Enforce It
Usual work hours typically last up to eight hours, or even more in hectic seasons. Companies often make the mistake of assuming productivity will be increased if they enforce stricter and shorter break times. This approach is counteractive to the goal of efficiency.
Breaks are necessary for recovering stress and recollecting your thoughts, thus making it crucial in improving efficiency. Breaks restore the mental energy put into working, resulting in better quality work. At work, allow your employees to take short breaks in between long periods of work. This will let them recharge and recover, in turn, doing more at making fewer mistakes, ultimately being more productive compared to forcing them to take fewer breaks.
If It Can Be an Email, Don’t Make it a Meeting
Traditional companies often have multiple meetings a month, but not all of those meetings are necessary. Meetings, where the only agenda is announcements or minor project updates, can be done over email or a group chat in your company’s choice of the collaborative communication platform. Not only will you spend fewer hours meeting uselessly, but you’re also giving more time for your employees to finish their tasks, increasing their overall productivity.
Assign Tasks to the Right People
Your staff is your weapons when it comes to tackling problems and obstacles at work. Just as you would use an operating light during surgery, there’s no reason you shouldn’t use the expertise of your employee during opportune moments.
Be familiar with your staff’s strengths and weaknesses, and play by them. Give organization tasks to those who are talented in arranging and organizing; give creative jobs to those with the artistic facets to accomplish it. This will result in not just an efficient workflow but also more satisfied employees, as they will feel empowered doing things that they can do. Don’t forget to praise them as well for a job well done.
Trust Them, and Don’t Micromanage
The critical component to any social relationship is trust. A lack of trust often leads to a strained relationship and complicated interactions. In the workplace, lack of trust would mean multiple do-overs and anxiety when collaborating. As a business owner, you need to trust in the skills of your staff. Trust them enough to leave them and expect a task to be accomplished without worries.
The last thing any employee wants is to have a micromanaging boss who second-guesses any movement they make. Not only is this demeaning and disrespectful, but it also decreases efficiency and productivity as they have to get everything approved before making major decisions when it comes to their projects. Just as you need to know their strengths and weaknesses, you need to trust that they are still enough to accomplish tasks given to them.
Set Realistic Goals, not Impossible Targets
For everyone to achieve success, it’s necessary to set high goals and work towards them. However, as a business owner, your perspective might differ from that of your employees. You might be looking at it from a long-term perspective, but employees tend to have a short-term outlook, as they are primarily responsible for achieving the tasks.
Thus, it’s essential to not let a lofty goal in the way of setting realistic targets and deadlines for your staff. Understand their position and give them enough time and resources to accomplish tasks. Always giving them challenging assignments will wear them out and ultimately reduce their productivity.