Most workers learn what is expected as far as performance on the job from group

Leading a team, whether it consists of 10 team members or 100, is never easy. Grouping different types of people with different temperaments can often lead to clashes, miscommunication and can impact workplace productivity. So much so that it can drive you crazy. However, if handled with little tact, you can make your team accomplish great professional goals. Getting them on the same page is different, but making them work in unison to achieve a common goal is no small feat.

No matter how productive your team is, there are always ways to be incorporated to take workplace productivity to a whole new level.

Before jumping to the ways, let’s get into the depth of something that will be of actual use for us. To understand productivity and efficiency better, how about we get their definitions straight, shall we?

Efficiency signifies a level of performance that describes a process that uses the lowest amount of inputs to create the most incredible amount of outputs.

On the other hand, productivity is the average measure of production efficiency. It can be expressed as the ratio of the outputs to the inputs used in the production process.

Now, without much ado, let’s discuss different ways bosses can improve their team’s productivity and efficiency.

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Here are 10 ways to empower your teams to be more productive:

1. Give your team members ownership

The best leaders in the business understand the power of ownership. Giving ownership to the team members means nothing but letting them make their own decisions and making them accountable for their work.

Making a team member accountable for his work induces a sense of responsibility in him regarding his work. He starts to see his work differently so that his decisions can impact the performance of the entire team.

Now, giving ownership can take different forms like leading a project, handling the responsibility of a task, etc. It shows that you’ve entrusted your team members and their capabilities to address a specific job. And when you do this, you realize that there is nothing more powerful than building someone’s self-esteem in your organization.

2. Ensure proper communication

Communication is one of the critical factors that contribute mainly to team productivity. Without effective communication, businesses fail. Because in the absence of communication, comes miscommunication and this breeds a lot of failures. A lot of successful businesses thrive on effective communication. Now, a project manager must ensure effective communication prevails in a team. 

Communication plays a significant role in helping team members to understand their job responsibilities. And, if there is any communication gap, it can lead to multiple confusions within a team, which will undoubtedly impact the overall productivity of a team. Whether you need to onboard new employees, deliver employee training, or have a place to house important information, consider creating an online course to keep everyone aligned. Thinkific is an online course platform to customize your approach to fit your business and team needs.

3. Identify your team’s strengths and weaknesses

It becomes the duty of a manager or a team lead to discover their teammates’ talents and skills and keep them in mind while allocating tasks. Knowing their skill-set is the backbone of producing a productive team.

For example, if someone in a team likes to think outside of the box, you can make him pitch creative ideas in front of a client(s). Knowing that team members are making the best use of their knowledge, expertise, and talents, they look forward to contributing to the workplace. Making them use their strengths will contribute to making your workplace better and productive than before.

4. Team building exercises

Team productivity depends big-time upon the camaraderie between the team members. If the team members get along and are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, the workplace automatically becomes a happier place. If the team members are happy from within, the team productivity and efficiency will automatically shoot up.

When different people are working within a team, there is a likelihood that not everyone will like each other. To beat the animosity between the team members, you can incorporate some team-building exercises. It will add some fun elements and wash away any grudges or miscommunications between the team members.

5. Use a project management tool

These days no one can deny the role online project management software plays in boosting teamwork and productivity. Having the right project management tool by your side can help in effective work management and increased collaboration between the team members.

For instance, ProofHub is one such online project management software that brings together your team members, projects, and clients in one place. With features like discussions and group chat, you can take your productivity game to a whole new level.

6. Wholesome work environment

The work environment and infrastructure are essential contributors in improving team efficiency and productivity. According to a recent study, the physical environment dramatically affects how employees feel, think and perform at the workplace.

Due to this, many organizations are paying attention while designing their office interiors. They make sure to incorporate bright lighting, a comfortable furniture layout, and a touch of nature with the help of plants and flowers. Besides the physical setting, the environment within the office premises also impacts team productivity. Dominating boss, condescending employees, and office politics can bring down an organization’s overall productivity and efficiency.

7. Reward your employees

Employees work best when given a reason to do so – probably a monetary one. They want their efforts to be appreciated and prefer to have a little more than a ‘virtual pat on the back from their bosses. That’s why many employers choose to implement incentive programs to keep their employees motivated.

According to a recent study, 85% of the employees felt more motivated to do their best in exchange for an incentive. These incentives can be in the form of cash, free vouchers, paid vacation, extra time off, lunch-outs, etc. Managers, I hope you’re taking notes 😉

8. Give them room to work

Every employee or team member works best when given an environment where they are allowed to do the things ‘their way’. Most employees tend to lose interest as soon as they are being micromanaged by their bosses or managers.

One of the many ways that can help you overcome this is to create a kickass team. Define their job responsibilities and your expectations clearly to them. Now, get out of their way and let them work on their own. At the same time, be approachable so that if someone in your team has a question, they don’t need to think twice to clarify their doubts. Always trust your team with utmost confidence. This further strengthens their belief in themselves that helps them to perform with their best abilities.

9. Praise a job well done

While for different employees, different things work in boosting their productivity and efficiency at work. But for many of them, it is something as simple as being acknowledged for their efforts. You know nothing can add to productivity if an employee feels that his contribution isn’t valued enough. Whereas appreciating them in front of the whole team can work wonders. 

Instead of virtual congratulatory words, this public act of appreciation inspires others in the group to do their best. This promotes a healthy work culture in an organization which will be an addition to boosting team productivity.

10. Give constructive feedback

Last but the most important on the list is to introduce a feedback process in a team. There is no hope of boosting employee efficiency if they don’t know they are being inefficient in the first place. This is why performance reviews and constructive feedback are essential in increasing team productivity. Getting to know about the areas of opportunities will motivate the team members to make some changes in their working style.

When you are done with the feedback, ask them what you could do to help them improve. Maybe they would like a little more guidance on certain tasks or prefer a little more room for creative freedom. This encourages a culture of open dialogue that will make future collaborations easier than before.

Conclusion

Team productivity is similar to baking a cake where the right ingredients (team members) need to be gathered and put together. Empowering your teams to be at their productive best requires a well-mixed batter of different components.

Overall, there is no single way to empower your teams to be more productive; rather, you can lay the foundation of a productive environment with small and constant practices. You’ll see a huge rise in the productivity meter by providing the employees continuous support, feedback, and encouragement. The above-discussed ways have helped us to make ProofHub a happy, collaborative, and productive workplace.

We hope you enjoy reading the article to make your teams more productive and efficient. We would love to know the different methods or techniques you guys use to boost the productivity of your teams. You can share your thoughts and tips in the comments section below.

Vartika Kashyap

Vartika Kashyap is the Chief Marketing Officer at ProofHub and has been one of the LinkedIn Top Voices in 2018. Her articles are inspired by office situations and work-related events. She likes to write about productivity, team building, work culture, leadership, entrepreneurship among others and contributing to a better workplace is what makes her click.