5 Ways to Improve Productivity in the Workplace

1. Set Clear Goals with a Due Date – Nothing provides more clarity than knowing the goal you will accomplish. Productivity in the workplace comes from working off of a To-Do list that includes tasks that will achieve the goal.

You may need to prune the To-Do list if it has items that have nothing to do with the goals and timelines set. Must-Do items need to be at the top of the To-Do list, and they are only must-do items if they accomplish the goals and meet the due dates.

2. Communicate!  – Discuss, update, ask questions, provide advice, encourage, educate, influence, sell and do whatever you need to do to keep everyone focused on the goals. Productivity comes from a united effort produced by excellent communication.

Ask for feedback; an open door policy requires patience but also builds trust.

3. Leverage Technology – Use the hardware and software to streamline your efforts and make your team more productive. Productivity apps are becoming a must; there is so much out there to help you do things faster, easier and better.

Adding the right tools might be better than adding another employee. Please understand me. Allowing technology to make things faster, better, and more accessible will hopefully enable the tremendous growth that will also include having to hire more people and providing more jobs. Productivity produces opportunities when maximized.

4. Provide Skills Development – A growing team is motivated and productive. Productivity produces opportunities for people to advance when maximized. Providing seminars, coaching sessions, books, online courses, and skill development opportunities will help the individual and the group be more productive.

5. Set the Standard and Offer Motivation – Be the hardest worker in the room and provide leadership through example. Offer motivation by having a worthwhile goal with worthwhile rewards. Rewards can be financial, time off or public acknowledgment of a job well done. Productivity comes from a team who feels excellent about accomplishment and is looking forward to the next challenge. Be authentic and focus on teamwork. Productivity happens when the unit is working together.

Having an attitude is one of the standards set for the team. A great attitude is always part of an award-winning recipe for success. Not all circumstances will be extraordinary, but we can choose to have a great attitude amid any occasion. If someone is having a bad day and their attitude is not correct, be there for them and encourage them to change. Offer to help and support them before you write them off.

Productivity in the workplace is not easy to accomplish, but it is vital for the company and yourself.

Here are some productivity killers to avoid 

Lack of discipline and accountability
Laziness and time wasted with excessive socializing
Unproductive meetings with no purpose, goal, or process
Busy work that does not contribute to the plans
Technology that is not efficient, productive, or necessary
Individuals who are not team players.
Lack of leadership
Poor communication
Lack of resources needed to achieve the goal.
Lack of follow-up on opportunities
No clear deadlines and nobody is meeting the ones set
Lack of hustle
Mediocrity
Broken promises and broken trust
Excuses (real leaders don’t use them)