A highly productive business is a profitable business. This is why every business strives to increase and improve productivity.
Productivity comes down to delivering more and increasing value while at the same time reducing the amount of time, energy and resource it takes to do it.
However, productivity isn’t just about the production process or what your staff are doing. It’s about creating a working culture where the performance of every employee is optimised.
When it comes to getting the most from your staff and doing more with less, here’s what you need to know…
1. Work hard. Recover harder
Hard work, and a culture of going the extra mile, has no substitute. Managers and senior leadership should lead from the front and set an example of the level of work that’s needed. Success isn’t possible without hard work, that’s a given. What isn’t is the fact that rest and recovery are just as important.
The athlete who consistently performs in their red zone for prolonged periods of time will burn out. That’s why rest and recovery are so important. Strive to find a balance between work and rest so your employees stay fresh, motivated and driven. This is the base from which increased productivity grows.
2. Open your eyes and ears
An improved awareness of your company and your people will help hone the edge of productivity. Your people are your strongest asset and understanding them, how they work and how they respond will help you get the most from them. Take the time to listen to ideas. Invest in staff development and kindle the spark in your employees so they want to deliver more for you.
3. Work in sprints, don’t run marathons
A sprint is a short, sharp burst of concentrated, maximum effort. Working in sprints increases focus, sees higher levels of transparency, better communication, a more effective way of prioritisation and further boosts team morale. The ‘sprint’ term stems from Agile project management and fosters an approach of continued evolution in order to deliver significant results.
4. Embrace change
Changing the way you operate and embracing advances in technology can see a dramatic increase in productivity. Workforce management software is a prime example of ways companies are finding improved productivity by carrying out their key business functions, like scheduling, in a dramatically reduced timeframe.
5. Have a happy workforce
A happy workforce is a productive workforce. That’s why we encourage everyone we work with to enjoy work. Soaring levels of staff morale and engagement promote a natural increase in productivity. According to figures from the Harvard Business Review in a study carried out in 2012, happy employees are 31% more productive than demotivated employees.
Enjoy work and start seeing the benefits.
Our expert team can help you identify ways to improve productivity in your business. Please do get in touch with us to see how we can help.
