We live in a world that is full of distraction. So much, in fact, that it makes the simple task of getting meaningful work done every day incredibly difficult. The key lies in building a culture within the workplace that values productivity above all else. It should exude from every pore of the business and be prevalent in everything employees do.
The good news? By leveraging the following five productivity tips, your business will discover that the secret behind sustained levels of high productivity is really rather simple:
1. Take advantage of technology
More good news; we’re surrounded by technology these days that makes ultra productivity achievable for everyone.
If you have a smartphone in your bag or pocket, you have a device that will help you complete your to-do list swiftly and efficiently every day.
Encourage a BYOD (bring your own device) culture and prompt staff to use to-do list apps on their smartphones in conjunction with any other tool (software or otherwise) that helps them get things done.
Most apps of this kinds are available for free, too, so it pays to experiment in order to find those that most suit your business.
2. Implement the Kanban technique
Developed by Toyota in the late 1940s, the Kanban technique is a brilliant way to raise productivity in businesses – particularly if you work in the manufacturing industry.
‘Kanban’ is Japanese for ‘signboard’, and refers to the process of laying out instructional cards across a board within columns that indicate their status.
Imagine a wall with columns marked ‘to-do’, ‘doing’ and ‘done’, with individual job cards sitting in each, and you’re along the right lines.
It’s a visual, interactive and inspiring way to break up big projects and make them much easier to complete.
3. Introduce flexible working
While not suitable for every business, the rise of flexible working hours within many industries is indicative of a global workforce that understands the benefits of working when one feels most inspired.
You may be forcing staff to work when they’re unlikely to be highly productive. If you instead let them dictate their hours so they can better fit their personal lives around their jobs, you should see an increase in both engagement and productivity levels.
4. Prioritise worker health and breaks
This might sound counterintuitive, but if you make a big deal about worker health and the number of breaks they’re allowed, their productivity levels should rise.
Healthy workers are productive workers, and businesses that clearly value the wellbeing of staff are more likely to enjoy high levels of sustained, quality output.
Are employees in your organisation encouraged to look after themselves or made to focus on the task in hand, no matter the personal cost? Clearly, if it’s the latter, you’re not purposefully causing harm, but it may be time to review the side effects of the business’s current work ethic.
5. Be the master of meetings
Meetings get a bad wrap, but they’re entirely necessary – particularly in manufacturing.
The secret lies in the ability to master meetings, rather than employee time being dictated by them. And this is a lot easier than you might think.
Encourage short, sharp meetings where people stand rather than sit and make sure agendas are clear, concise and free of trivial discussion.
Not rocket science, eh?
Wrapping up
There’s no silver bullet when it comes to productivity. The advice above is guidance, that’s all; in order for your business culture to fully embrace a productive mindset, both the board and ground staff will need to be proactive in seeking it.
Why not start that process by implementing some of the techniques above – today?
