Enhancing productivity can provide many benefits for a company. It helps increase employee satisfaction and improves retention.
In the end, working to improve productivity will impact the bottom line for a small business.
Know How to Prioritize
Any small business owner or manager will find a long list of items on the to-do list. However, not all of them have the same priority. It’s far too easy to focus on the urgent and overlook the important.
To avoid this, it helps to take a few moments each day to set a priority list.
Ensure your staff knows which items are top priorities. You may even have to assist them in determining what tasks rank highest.
By keeping an ongoing priority list, you’re team will never lose focus.
Learn How to Motivate
Help your employees increase productivity by motivating them. The same methods won’t work for everyone, so it’s up to the managers to learn what works.
For example, many employees work better with deadlines while others like to be given only small parts of a project to work on.
One employee may be an ace at multi-tasking while the idea of doing two things at once may derail another employee. Instead, they prefer to focus on one thing at a time.
Based on your observations, you can assign tasks in a manner that will ensure everyone is performing at their best.
Know How to Combine Fun and Work
As the article, “4 Ways to Make Your Workweek More Productive” says, it helps to take a break from work on a regular basis to keep you focused. Take this idea a step further and bring fun into the workday.
While you have to be careful not to distract everyone from their work, the right kind of fun can enhance the day.
Encourage staff to be active on their breaks.
They could go for a walk or do an exercise class during lunch break. Physical activity can help employees be more mentally alert on work tasks.
Allow employees to plan special events within reason. It may be a monthly birthday celebration or a group charity fundraising.
As long as the activity doesn’t take away time that should be spent on work, it can enhance the sense of camaraderie between the employees and help them work harder for a company they enjoy.
Train and Evaluate
To ensure your staff is performing to the best of their ability, you have to keep them trained on the latest technology and methods. They will feel more confident of what they can do if they receive enough training and go through refresher classes.
As a manager or owner, you will want to re-evaluate your employees as well as your processes to ensure they are being effective.
Don’t get stuck in old ways when better options exist.
Be willing to change and alter the ways you do things. Many small businesses get stuck in routines and continue to do things the way they’ve always been done.
If you take a look at the various aspects of your small business, you can find ways to improve productivity and increase profitability.
About the Author: Joyce Morse is an author who writes on a variety of topics, including marketing and running a small business.