Have you ever wondered if productivity in your workplace is really at a satisfactory level? The working conditions – checked. The office – checked. The material needed – as well. But does the availability of these aspects change the commitment of the employees in the right way and in a positive sense? All the significance and need for improvements in this field lie in the answer to this question. Sometimes, even when employees seem to have everything they need to achieve optimal results, you probably notice that things aren’t going so smoothly. Simply, there are some days when it might be damn difficult to maintain concentration and focus on important tasks. This makes many of them become reluctant to perform their activities and it all comes down to glancing at their watch and hardly being able to wait for the time to go home.
This could be exceptionally useful if you’re entering a manager position or becoming a superior of any kind. It will be in your best interest to maximize team productivity, as this generally means increasing customer success.
You’ll have the opportunity to study it from an expert’s perspective through articles, books, and even e-books offered by Smart Karrot and others who deal with this topic. However, your own ideas are what matters the most.
Since numerous companies today rely on this different, friendly, and relaxed way of acting toward their teams, we think it’s time to think about this option yourself and implement it in your system. And how? It will be our pleasure to explain.
Make a pleasant atmosphere for your crew
It’s normal that your employees will always be more eager to come home, eat something nice and then relax for the rest of the day than being in the office – that can’t be denied. They’ll always look forward to it. However, you should focus primarily on the part of the day they spend in their workspace and try to turn it into a pleasant environment and circumstances for functioning.
If everything is ‘dead’, monotonous and there’s no intention to change it, it can greatly affect their mood, and thus the results they achieve. Therefore, consider the following suggestion. How about adding a little fun to your workday?
If you haven’t practiced playing music so far, it’s time to change that – of course, in a moderate way and without interruption. Another great idea is based on beautifying the space with ornamental houseplants and pleasant lights for those who work at night. Photos of team members, cute messages, food delivery leaflets ( lunch is a fundamental part of the day, right?), as well as printed motivational quotes can always be hung on the walls.
Also, be kind enough to let them keep some dear things around – their special coffee mugs, tiny dolls, their kid’s drawing, or photos of their beloved ones. All these things will make them feel like home and make them be more willing to give their best if they feel comfortable enough.
Organize team building
Yay, team building is here! The thing is quite simple – make all those people get to know each other better. Sometimes work commitments don’t allow team members to get to know more about the rest of their colleagues and develop closer relationships and beautiful friendships. And this, let us tell you, can actually be a key factor in increasing productivity.
If they make friends and acquaintances with their colleagues, the atmosphere will be nicer and much more enjoyable. Everything will be spiced with laughter, jokes, and nice conversations during breaks, so simply allow them to get it.
Another basic thing and an undeniable benefit when it comes to such a system – this is your way to approach them as a superior and achieve a friendly relationship with them. Of course, you don’t have to be best friends – it’s always good to separate private life and business to a certain extent. However, you’ll learn more about them, understand what drives them, and at the same time, you’ll have so much fun.
Bowling session? A game night? The escape room adventure? Decide together – let them vote for the most interesting idea and make it come true.
Show some appreciation to your employees
Members of your team are sometimes unaware that their commitment and hard work are valued, as managers and directors often forget to let them know this, even though they actually think so. They won’t realize it by themselves, so stand out from the crowd of employers who don’t know how to adequately pay tribute to their team and show them how much you admire them.
First, it wouldn’t be bad to provide some nice meals or refreshments for them from time to time. For example, seasonal fruit once in a couple of weeks. Or a donut. Or a cake. Make sure you always have several types of drinks available in the working space such as tea, coffee, and natural juices so that they can be served at all times. This doesn’t have to be a big expense, and it can say a big ‘thank you’ instead of you.
Also, find a way to express your satisfaction with their work by praising them publicly. How? Well, at least this is easy – what do social networks serve for? If there’s room for advertising and self-promotion, there’ll certainly be enough space for an occasional post that’ll praise the team’s work and list some of the successes they’ve achieved.
If you see that individuals are more committed than others, provide a certain type of reward for them. It can be an additional break, a holiday-related benefit and other advantages. If all this is approached with love and if such things are done from the bottom of the heart, there’s no chance that they won’t bear fruit.
Pay more or implement a bonus scheme
Of course, money is one of the aspects that makes people put more effort – they do it so that they can gain more. Salary is the trigger for productive work, and if we aren’t paid enough and adequately for our efforts, all those theories about motivation and various analyzes go down the drain.
Creating a monthly bonus scheme is one of the ways not only to improve the results of employees but also to develop a competitive spirit among them. The amount is your decision, but it would be nice if it was a decent sum of money that might make them try even harder next month. And of course, this type of award doesn’t have to be won by just one person.
At the end of the month, try to record the results and achievements of all employees and reward several of them by making a top list of, for example, 10 workers, where the first five positions will receive the highest bonuses. Mini-bonuses can be implemented for smaller achievements. As you can see, there’s a whole handful of various possibilities, and you have complete freedom to establish rules in cooperation with your colleagues. If you want to make the process easier, you can use Traqq’s time tracker to identify employees who are performing well.
Listen to them and let them participate
We left one of the most important things for the end. Make them feel their opinion matters. After all, if they weren’t there, the team wouldn’t exist as a whole.
Many people that sit in your office might be geniuses or at least have some amazing ideas that could improve the overall company functioning. Also, many of them might have never got the chance to speak up and give their own opinions and views.
Write down all good pieces of advice – and even if some suggestions you get don’t seem good enough, thank them for sharing them with you. Giving them an opportunity to tell you what they think and to suggest some improvement measures will make them realize they’re important as a part of the crew.