Achieving high team productivity is a dream come true for all team managers out there. Successfully running a productive team is a very challenging task, as working with people can be seriously engaging. However, succeeding in running a team will make everyone happy, the leader, the team members and the company as 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 are some of the tips that 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 is something that can be achieved through team building events such as a dinner, weekend trips or similar types of activities. This will let people know more about each other, which will open more channels of communication. After all, it is much easier to communicate with a person you are familiar with than a stranger who is sitting next to you. On the other hand, it is very important to establish professional communication limits.
You do not want to create an atmosphere where people are going to talk about their private lives during work hours, as this is simply a distraction for the whole team. Therefore, it is very important to establish some rules about the things that need to be communicated, the things that 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 make breaks
You are not going to be a better team leader if you simply force your team members to pull more hours of continual work. The fact is that we are all humans and that breaks are necessary if you want to stay focused on work during the period of 8 hours. No matter how good your team is, it is impossible to keep a high level of focus during an 8-hour period. A good idea is to encourage this type of 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 perfect amount of break time to provide to your whole team. This will ensure that they are less bored, less tired and will make them more productive. There is a precise science behind taking breaks, so make sure that 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 a lot of time and commitment. There is a psychological factor that has to be addressed. It is very important that every team member is aware that they are a part of something bigger, a part of a team, which itself is an integral part of the company. This will engage every team member to give more to the whole team and to the project. Stressing the big picture is very important, as it will get into people’s heads over time.
What is more important than increased productivity is the fact 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 key 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 3 months to achieve, or if you have to face them with 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 bigger.
On the other hand, task that take up to a month to complete will provide your team with a great sense of achievement. Small and well-timed wins will take your team much further, so be careful when determining how you are going to schedule tasks.
Give credits to team members
Upon completing any type of task, no matter if the task was successful or not so successful, it is very important to show appreciation for all the people who were involved in the project. This will make each team member feel important and appreciated. If a task is completed without any given credits, the people will feel less motivated to engage more with the upcoming tasks, as they are not going to feel that the energy they invest is being appreciated enough.
So, no matter how a certain task is performed, it is important to give some sort of pep talk that is going to motivate the people around you. Over a longer period of time, appreciating team members will not only increase productivity, but will also establish a sense of belonging to a family, increased loyalty and trust.
Make a truly 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 is going to enable your teammates to be productive. Additionally, even though it may sound harsh for some people, access to a variety of time-wasting websites and social media networks should be forbidden.
These are some of the ways in which people lose precious time, as social media networks take away their focus for extended periods of time. On the other hand, while protecting people from the grasp of the internet it is important to make sure that there are no trespassers in the office. Any type of interruption is very distracting for the whole team, which can significantly reduce the productivity of the whole team.
These are some tips that will encourage specific behavior and increase the productivity of the people around you. However, it is also important to apply some practical steps, so that people are more time-efficient. If you combine all of these tips, your team is going to feel like one big family, which will help them get the job done efficiently and enthusiastically.
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