Achieving high team productivity is a dream come true for all team managers out there. Successfully running a productive team is challenging, as working with people can be engaging. However, succeeding in running a team will make everyone happy, the leader, the team members, and the company as a whole. Remember, the best companies in the world are successful because they are comprised of incredible teams. So, if you are a team leader, these tips will help make you and your team more productive.
Work on communication
Communication is the most important thing that a team can have. If you don’t establish good communication, many problems may come. There are two different ways to improve communication amongst team members. One is more focused on a personal level, whereas the other is concerned with a professional level.
Bringing people closer on a personal level can be achieved through team-building events such as dinner, weekend trips o,r similar activities. This will let people know more about each other, opening more communication channels. After all, it is much easier to communicate with someone you are familiar with than with a stranger sitting next to you. On the other hand, it is essential to establish professional communication limits.
You do not want to create an atmosphere where people will talk about their private lives during work hours, as this is simply a distraction for the whole team. Therefore, it is essential to establish rules about what needs to be communicated, what your team members should be notified of, and many other business-related things. The more both of these communication channels evolve, the better the productivity is going to be.
Make sure to take breaks.
You will not be a better team leader if you force your team members to pull more hours of continual work. We are all humans, and that breaks are necessary if you want to stay focused on your job for 8 hours. No matter how good your team is, keeping a high focus for 8 hours is impossible. The good idea is to encourage this behavior by taking breaks yourself as a team leader.
This will signal to people that they can rest as well. A period of 15 minutes is the perfect amount of time to relax your brain and let it rest. Making 3 or 4 of these breaks during working hours is the ideal break time to provide to your whole team. This will ensure that they are less bored and less tired and will make them more productive. There is a precise science behind taking breaks, so make sure you use it to help reduce stress and increase productivity – your team will love it.
Shape the team members’ mindset
Turning your team into a well-oiled machine takes time and commitment. There is a psychological factor that has to be addressed. Every team member must be aware that they are a part of something bigger, a part of a team that is an integral part of the company. This will engage every team member to give more to the whole team and the project. Stressing the big picture is very important, as it will get into people’s heads over time.
More critical than increased productivity is that when someone is more involved in a task at work, there are much higher chances that a new idea that can take the whole company in a new direction can emerge. You never know how talented and ready to work someone is. So if you want your team to become more innovative, shaping your whole team’s mindset is a crucial starting point.
Set realistic goals
Setting realistic goals is very important because the sense of achievement is one of the things that is going to motivate people further. For example, you should avoid involving your team in projects that take more than three months to achieve, or if you have to face this sort of obligation, it is necessary to split up the project into smaller and shorter achievements. This will give people a sense of improvement after each completed step, even though the project is much more significant.
On the other hand, tasks that take up to a month will give your team a great sense of achievement. Small and well-timed wins will take your team much further, so be careful when determining how you will schedule tasks.
Give credits to team members.
Upon completing any type of task, no matter if the job was successful or not so successful, it is essential to show appreciation for all the people who were involved in the project. This will make each team member feel important and appreciated. Suppose a task is completed without any given credits. In that case, the people will feel less motivated to engage more with the upcoming lessons, as they will not feel that the energy they invest is being appreciated enough.
So, no matter how a particular task is performed, it is essential to give some pep talk that will motivate the people around you. Over a more extended period, appreciating team members will increase productivity and establish a sense of belonging to a family and increase loyalty and trust.
Make a genuinely professional environment.
All of the above things are important to establish, but the foundation on which all of these things should be built is a great working environment. Create a soundproof and isolated environment that will enable your teammates to be productive. Additionally, even though it may sound harsh for some people, access to various time-wasting websites and social media networks should be forbidden.
These are how people lose precious time as social media networks take away their focus for extended periods. On the other hand, while protecting people from the grasp of the internet, it is essential to ensure that there are no trespassers in the office. Any interruption is very distracting for the whole team, which can significantly reduce the entire team’s productivity.
These tips will encourage specific behavior and increase the productivity of the people around you. However, applying some practical steps to make people more time-efficient is also essential. If you combine all of these tips, your team will feel like one big family, which will help them get the job done efficiently and enthusiastically.
