6 New Ways to Boost Daily Productivity

Every manager aims to accomplish an increased quantity of quality work in a shorter time. So, it is no surprise that miscellaneous publications and training sessions on daily productivity have been trending recently. Business leaders have started to think of productivity management as a tool to help them reduce time spent on unnecessary tasks. Many of them also promote various workshops and events to help their employees develop the required skills for the future of work.

Today’s excitement for staff productivity can be explained by the fact that it directly impacts business. So, managers are constantly looking for effective ways to maximize the effort. Getting the most out of employees may seem arduous, especially when companies are hesitant about change and innovation. However, as you gain a broader vision of what productivity has to offer to your company, you may want to reconsider your commitments and strategies.

How does productivity influence my business?

When we talk about productivity management in the workplace, we see it as a driver of competitiveness and profitability. With higher productivity, profits increase. So, how does it work? We can calculate productivity and quality of work by defining outputs and inputs, where:

• Outputs mean products, services, or measurable value a company delivers
• Inputs refer to resources engaged in building those products, services, or value

Your input can range from people to technology, energy, and materials investments. Therefore, ensuring that your input is lower than your output will result in a more elevated level of productivity. This simple example can help us envision how analyzing current inputs can improve daily productivity.

Let’s imagine you oversee a potato farm, and you are looking for ways to boost your annual potato harvesting process. You count on 100 workers to pick a total of 20,000 large potatoes per hour by hand, which means that your hourly labor productivity is 20,000 potatoes. So, you will divide that into the number of people working, in this case, 100 people, which will give you a total of 200 potatoes per hour per picker. Although this output is not poor, there are opportunities to improve. What if your employees could learn picking skills to help them be faster? Or what about implementing technology to speed up the process? Could you reorganize the picking flow?

Analyzing how some processes work and questioning each step may unleash productivity improvement opportunities. By doing this, you can get a better idea of how you can increase profits, reduce prices, and attract more customers. Moreover, detecting and implementing a productivity improvement technique can provide you with a strong competitive edge and a leading position in the market.

Achieving more in less time with management skills

Have you ever wondered why some people are more productive than others? The answer is very straightforward—it all comes down to habits. The fact is that 79 percent of office workers don’t remain productive throughout the whole working day. Moreover, an average employee works effectively for less than 3 hours per day.

That’s where time management skills can make an enormous difference. Since habits emerge through associative learning and about 40 percent of people’s daily activities are performed in the same situations, it’s easy to find patterns of behavior that allow us to reach goals. Through repetition, we create associations between cues and responses.

As a leader, you can establish new techniques for productivity improvement to boost people’s confidence in their daily tasks. Help employees feel supported and in control of their responsibilities, and of course, give them the right equipment to perform as expected. Overall, cultivating a healthy work culture results from high daily productivity at the workplace.

Below we introduce six specific practices to help improve your workforce productivity.

1. Offer constant and clear direction

Like in any relationship, communication is vital to establish expectations. Ensuring that your priorities are well understood is essential when setting new organizational habits, whether for short or long-term goals. Provide clear and constant direction; your staff will find greater motivation when they thoroughly comprehend corporate objectives.

2. Encourage to plan effectively

Daily productivity starts with you. Managers should lead by example and encourage teammates to reach high productivity levels. Explain that day planning is as important as planning for long-term pursuits. While employees learn to do that, help them focus their daily tasks on achieving the long-term ones. Keeping track of time and establishing deadlines will also help you identify gaps and advantages better.

3. Delegate

Although leaders may be hesitant about delegating, it’s an excellent practice for your own efficiency. When employees feel trusted, and internal development programs are executed, people have an opportunity to show you what they’re capable of doing. Carefully detect who’s ready to take on certain jobs and share some responsibilities. You may be surprised by what your staff can deliver.

4. Provide the necessary tools

Eliminating monotonous manual work should be the number one priority to boost daily productivity. Providing your staff with better tools and access to data analytics will help them be more productive and make better business decisions. Due to the uncertainties of current times, always ensure they can securely access the corporate system from home. Listen to their needs and evaluate their demands.

5. Ensure everyone has a productive space to work at from home

Productivity management techniques are vital when working from home. Remote work has many benefits and more flexibility, but how can you maintain or improve productivity? It’s important to acknowledge and help employees create distraction-free spaces where they can focus. Schedule meetings and be aware of the time they spend on virtual sessions. Encourage taking breaks to be reenergized and remain productive. Remember that employees’ job satisfaction during the pandemic has been strongly affected.

6. Motivate and reward excellent performance

Doing a good job or exceeding expectations should be recognized. Employees need to know that their efforts are seen and acknowledged. As you offer personal incentives, they will be eager to accomplish more and make daily productivity a priority on their list. However, avoid creating a stressful environment and make a genuine effort to ensure your employees are happy . When under too much stress, performance alters dramatically and leads to absenteeism. In fact, one million employees skip work every day due to stress.

Some of these daily productivity tips may seem like minor changes. Still, even small modifications to day-to-day routines or equipment may have a significant effect on your business effectiveness. Think of the impact you can have on individuals when you recognize their achievements and potential. Executing and learning productivity skills can also be reflected in their personal lives. As a leader, you want your staff to succeed in and outside the office.

Measure and improve productivity skills

The only way to continue improving daily productivity is by measuring its impact. Otherwise, it becomes hard to hold people accountable for their progress or opportunities for growth. Fortunately, productivity and quality of work are easy to track with new performance management software.

The HR software package you employ may include training, hiring, budgeting trackers, and other assets. These tools allow employees to set goals and track their progress. Of course, it makes workforce monitoring faster and easier, giving leaders a detailed picture of how employee assets are used.

Using this data can become a powerful weapon when analyzed continually. It may be used not only for corporate value and growth but for higher staff satisfaction and better employee retention rates. As you learn what tasks take a lot of time, you may detect procedures requiring modifications or tools demanding improvements.

Since communication and cooperation can increase productivity by 25 percent, employing new practices will help you get ahead of your competitors. Moreover, you’ll find valuable data like who’s outperforming and ready to extend responsibility. Overall, the long-term success of any company relies on its people and their ability to overcome pitfalls and remain productive.