By Hannah Whittenly
It’s important that you keep your small business staff productive throughout the entire workday. However, this can often be very challenging to do. Here are the top four hacks you can use to increase your small business employees’ productivity all day every day.
Improve time management
One of the best ways you can improve productivity is to keep track of your employee’s work progress since it can affect your business’s growth the most. Ensure that your employees are keeping up with their assigned tasks and do everything you can to make the most of your own time. When you notice your employees starting to get a little behind, remember to motivate them to help accomplish more during the workday.Provide training in time management skills if necessary.
If someone is constantly running behind on their work, look at their job description and their assignments and consider whether what you’re expecting them to accomplish is actually reasonable and feasible. Burnout from being overworked will greatly diminish an employee’s productivity.
Alter the lighting
Believe it or not, altering the lighting of your office can drastically change the productivity amongst your workforce. According to The American Society of Interior Design, more than 60 percent of employees dislike the lighting in their offices. According to scientific research, cool light can help with productivity and make the office more comfortable to be in. Fortunately, most companies are creating personalized lighting controls for their employees. This way, you won’t annoy your workforce and affect the productivity in the office.
Use shutters, like those from Shutterflex, to alter the lighting from room to room. Some rooms may need to be bright for those that work in them. In others, dimmer light may be needed but the important factor is that natural light is still emitting through the room.
[amazon_link asins=’1533582335′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingin-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’12c21e97-5d18-11e8-b640-0707845cc319′]Use project management tools
To boost productivity, consider using technology to your advantage, specifically by implementing more project management tools. These tools can be a real time-saver. Instead of needing to walk to a coworker’s desk to discuss problems and tasks, they can take the conversation online. Some great tech tools to simplify communication, track progress, and complete projects include Slack, Asana, and Basecamp.
Hold only necessary meetings
Recent studies have shown that 37 percent of an employee’s time is spent on meetings. Unnecessary meetings are a huge waste of employees’ time and interfere greatly with their productivity. Though connecting with your staff is important, there are other ways to communicate and monitor their progress. Use the project management tools mentioned above to cut back on meetings. Face to face communication is still important, but try to limit the number of meetings you are currently having.
Increasing productivity in the office is simple once you know what needs to be done. By using these helpful hacks, you can improve your office’s efficiency and make your staff happier at the same time.
____________
Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake.
