5 Tips on How to Increase the Productivity in Your Workplace
If you are a business owner, or working as a project manager, then productivity is one of the issues you should be concerned with. There are many aspects that can negatively impact the workflow in your office: weather, work conditions, the nature of certain tasks, inadequate task distribution, bad relationship among the workers, etc. One of your duties should be to motivate your employees to gradually increase their productivity, which ultimately results in an increased income for everyone. Here are a couple of tips you can implement in order to increase productivity in your workplace.
1. Quality project management
Project management is so much more than simple task distribution. You should know the nature of the project, which one of your employees can handle with greater ease, the realistic deadline for its execution etc. Thus, if you have a large task, make sure that it is properly segmented and that a realistic deadline is assigned for each of these segments. If you have more minor tasks, see if they are somewhat compatible in nature, so that you can stack them together and assign them to one person — there is no need for everyone to do the same research. Lastly, even distribution of tasks is an important aspect — if one of your workers carries a bigger load, you are not doing your job correctly.
2. Employee based incentives
Another way to increase motivation is by using employee based incentives, i.e. increased income. The whole principle is based on the idea that your employees are getting payed for a specific amount of work they need to do over the course of one month. So, if one of them is to sell an additional item, he, or she, needs to be paid for every additional unit sold. The same applies for writing, presentation etc.
3. Create a healthy environment
The very environment you are working in has a great impact on the productivity. If you do not maintain a certain level of hygiene, the productivity will drop. You either need to outsource the whole cleaning process, or to organize your workers to adopt some new habits. State that after everyone finishes their work they need to clean their desks, and keep them organized. You can also provide good chairs, which provide proper lumbar support, to show that you care about their health and comfort.
An air conditioner is also an essential item for any serious office — it keeps everyone cool during scorching summer, so that they can focus on their work. Another thing which may interfere with both health and productivity is mold on the office walls. You need to have a regular check-ups in the event the atmosphere is humid enough to cause mold to develop. You can buy garden pots to bring an additional breath of fresh air and aroma to the office, and to enhance its style. There are many materials to choose from, and variety of different plants you can use.
4. Team building exercise
One way of boosting team spirit is by using team building exercise. Find a nice rural place for you and your employees to spend a weekend or a whole week, and bond in the process. You can participate in various activities, talk about your plans for future etc. Once your workers get to know each other they will feel closer, and it is always better to come to a place where you are surrounded with friends. Also, it will give them time to unwind and recharge their mental batteries for new conquests.
5. Organized brakes
Finally, you need to have a well-defined break time during your work hours. People need to stretch their muscles, eat, go out for a smoke etc. This is crucial for every working day, and you should have at least two breaks. So, if your employees work from nine to five, after about three hours of work your employees are entitled to a 30 minute break. If you allow them to go out unsynchronized whenever someone gets hungry, or needs to have a smoke, you will damage the ongoing workflow of other workers.
