To maximize the potential of your business, it’s essential to monitor and continually improve staff productivity. Failing to do so, could result in lower work efficiency and a high turnover of staff. Avoiding this costly mistake doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. Follow these simple steps and you can promote a happy work force.
Be a leader, not a boss
It can be tempting to remain distant from our employees, passing down orders from a position of power, but this can be damaging to your business. Always lead by example, with a good work ethic and professional manner. This includes being polite and courteous to all staff, which you would expect in return.
If you want your staff arriving at the office bright and early, be sure to arrive early yourself. This shows you have the same level of commitment and you’re willing to work just as hard. Similarly, if you have set overtime, continue working yourself until everyone has finished.
Always provide positive feedback
Feeling valued in the workplace is an important motivating factor. If your staff have shown a good work ethic with improved performance, let them know this is appreciated. A great way of doing this, is with a bi-annual appraisal where you offer suggestions for improvement as well as providing positive feedback. Alternatively, incentivize staff with social events or small bonuses. Aside from the monetary token, this makes the employee feel valued and creates a happy working environment.
Implement training courses
Developing skills and attributes in a given role is one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of work. If you invest in your employees with a focus on training, they will appreciate this chance for self-development. Include training costs in your expenditure budget, which may include certified courses from renowned universities or in-house training. Ask for feedback from your staff after they have taken the course to understand if it was of benefit.
Communicate
Being an approachable manager will encourage staff to come forward with potential issues within the business or innovative ideas for improvement. These can be taken into consideration to change the strategic direction of your business. A member of staff may also highlight the need for better working conditions that you were unaware of. An uncomfortably hot office could be decreasing productivity which could be easily solved with the use of heat exchangers.
Have frequent discussions with your employees to ask for feedback and let them know that their input is valued. Weekly meetings with the entire workforce can be a great way to keep everyone updated with the businesses progress.
Treat everyone as an individual
Finally, it’s important to consider the individual needs and wants of your employees. What motivates one, may not motivate the other. Get to know each member of staff and learn what they value. You can now offer better solutions to possible demotivating factors and provide tailored incentives.
Implementing these simple steps into your daily management can have a profound impact on your staff productivity. Set aside some time to make these changes and you won’t be disappointed.
