4 Tips for Higher Team Productivity

Tim shares his 4 tips for achieving higher team productivity.

By Tim Frear

The success of a business is reliant on the productivity of its staff, and as such, is high on the agenda of most companies and teams. We are all usually measured in some way whether it’s formal KPIs or your manager evaluating what you have achieved, it all leads to the success and profitability of the business. 

Many blogs look at computers systems, making things more streamline and efficient to increase productivity. However I wanted to look at the ‘people’ side of things.  

Here are 4 tips for higher team productivity, they’re not rocket science, but you would be surprised at how many companies fall at the first hurdle!

Create Authentic leaders

This sounds simple, but how many of us have been in an organisation where a manager acts like David Brent from The Office? Building an authentic image is not about creating a false image or putting on a show, it’s about interacting with others in a genuine manner. Being true to who you are and putting your best foot forward will allow others to have a positive image of who you are as a leader.

Building an authentic image is about making a full-time commitment to the journey of defining yourself as a leader and how this will shape the manner in which you will lead others. Employees can sense ‘fake-ness’, so recognising and celebrating when something goes well and take personal ownership and admitting when you are wrong, will help you create an honest and transparent culture.

Who are you people 

I’m sure you all know the names of your team members, but do you really know them? How many children do they have and when did little Billy break his arm? 

Knowing your employees and what drives them inside and outside of work will give you an insight into their personal drives and motivations. 

It important to walk through the building, talk to employees and know when staff are happy, and more importantly when they’re not happy. Be inquisitive, know what they’re working on and offer assistance when needed. 

Managers are scared that they will be seen as micromanaging their employees, but it’s important to realise that offering help, assistance and guidance is different to micromanaging,. All this will create a culture where employees feel comfortable asking for help.

By understanding your employees, you’ll develop a direct connect with them, which will contribute to the creation of a personal workplace where employees become invested in its success and the team’s success. They’ll become happier in their working lives and therefore be more productive! 

Reward your staff relevantly

Being an authentic leader is all about understanding what motivates your employees. Annual pay reviews don’t usually motivate (in fact they can demotivate). However a family ticket to Pepper Pig World to an employee with a young family provides them with an experience. Tailoring the reward to the person receiving it, shows you care about them personally and as a result, helps to promotes a healthy work life balance.

Does everyone know what they should be achieving?

How can you inspire and drive your team if they don’t know which goal they’re aiming for? We encourage individuality in an organisation to promote new thinking, but it’s important that everyone is moving in the same direction. I remember when I was 16 and worked weekends in a shoe shop, each morning we went though targets for the day and the culture was to see who could do the best to hit the target. Nothing has changed, everyone on the team should know what they are a part of and how they can contribute to the goals and success of the company. 

If people are all working to different goals you will achieve different results. If you’re wanting to drive your business forward, it’s important to align your employees to be moving in the same direction. When mistakes happen, embrace them, take ownership of them and learn from them. Make appropriate changes that positively impact the business and the overall results.  

Before I finish, I wanted to share a phrase we used with Celebrity Cruises, we would say “Great employees make great vacations” this statement says it all, whatever industry you’re in, in whatever field, your people are your most important asset; good people will make a company. Understanding individuality and personal needs will create authentic leaders and a positive culture of productivity!

If you’re interested in finding out more about how to increase productivity in your business, just get in touch!