Every company wants to be more productive. Whilst there are various motivation tactics that can make you and your staff more energised and potentially more productive, these tactics don’t always have certain results. Instead, you could be better off trying some of these five practical methods of boosting productivity.
Automate time-consuming admin tasks
Nowadays, there are many admin tasks that can be performed automatically by software. Such tasks include accounting, ordering stock, generating invoices and paying staff. If you’re still doing all your admin manually, it could be time to start looking into automation services that could help to speed up these tasks, freeing up time for you to do other core tasks. Software development organisations such as this company can help you to produce custom machine learning services to help automate tasks. Alternatively, you may be able to find an existing solution out there that meets your needs. Compare prices, read reviews and download free trials in order to find the best software.
Outsource tasks that can’t be automated
There are certain time-consuming tasks that have to be done by a human, however rather than doing them yourself you could always outsource them. There are companies out there that can manage your social media, write press releases or even answer incoming calls to help reduce interruptions. You may end up paying extra to outsource these services, but in the long run you could end up making more money by spending less time on these tasks and more time generating new business. When choosing a company to outsource, make sure to do your research to ensure that they are credible – online reviews and testimonials are always worth reading.
Keep everyone on the same page
A lack of communication will slow down your business. Find ways to keep everyone on the same page so that you’re spending less time checking up on people or having to explain your progress to others (or indeed having to correct errors caused by miscommunications). There are many ways to keep everyone on the same page. The most traditional way is to hold regular meetings, although these themselves can be time-consuming. A better option could be to create a cloud-based database where everyone can share information in one place. This could be used to brainstorm, to give out tasks or to record progress and it could be shared with employees or clients. Project management software and project management apps are the most effective way of doing this. You could also use group chats and forums. Of course, you won’t want to share all information and certain conversations may be better of private, but having a communal space for the most important information could be worthwhile.
Stop micro-managing employees
Micro-management doesn’t just slow down your employees – it slows you down too. By giving employees more free rein and focusing on your own tasks, everyone is likely to get things done at a faster rate. Your employees are also likely to feel less under pressure and could even make less mistakes as a result. Of course, there may still be times when you want to keep a closer eye on certain employees who keep making errors or seem to be slacking, but you shouldn’t be monitoring them constantly. Give people more autonomy – especially you’re most senior and trusted staff members who are more likely to stay loyal if you give them more freedom.
Work more flexible hours
The 9 to 5 work schedule could be restricting your productivity. This could be particularly the case if you do business with clients abroad who may work in different time zones. Being more flexible with your work schedule could allow you to provide better communication with clients and could even allow you to work your schedule more effectively around other commitments. You could also encourage your staff to do the same – so long as people are able to meet deadlines and handle the workload set to them, there’s no reason to force everyone to go into the office early or even force people to go into the office at all.
Leave a Reply