Productivity Needs to Start From the Top
Here at Reborn Consultants, our employees feed off of the productivity we do as Owners. Being a CEO means everybody watching your efforts and work ethic. Because of this, how you hold yourself can directly effect the overall environment of your workplace. Being productive around your staff not only encourages their morale but can also increase profits in the long run. The hard part is balancing a proper work environment. Having too much fun or being too lenient can do more harm than good. So always be firm with your choices and stick to them. Productivity should be your top priority as it effects the workflow efficiency.
It might not happen often but we might loose focus on our priorities sometimes. We either overwork ourselves or loose sight on the important stuff. Either way our work ethic and productivity can slip into a less than ideal states. But this can unknowingly trickle down to your workers. So it is imperative that you stay consistent in showing your staff that you work just as hard as they do. Actions speak louder than words so make sure to follow through on any expectations you give your staff and self. More often than not, our employees look to us as examples so lets give them one we are proud of.
Take Breaks
Every workplace has that “I do not have time to take a break. I too much work to do” employee. But this thought process is harmful to have. The fact is that no one can stay 100% productive at work 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. In our office, it is mandatory for our staff to take a break and walk away from your desk for a few minutes. A short 2-5 minute break every hour makes a big difference. Some companies even offer a separate break area to mentally change the employee’s focus while at work. Do whatever you need to take a quick mental and physical work break for your wellbeing. Studies have shown the power of taking short breaks can increase overall workplace productivity and promote a healthy workplace environment. These small changes will benefit your staff’s mental state and longevity for the better. So start to schedule short breaks in everyone’s schedule to experience a dramatic change.
Small Goal Setting
Large goals are essential for any business or person in general. Goals fuel and motivate us to work hard for what we want. But remember to celebrate any micro wins we accomplish as well. Small tasks that take under 5 minutes to complete are great ways to do this. Now this isn’t to completely forget the big important stuff. Just make sure to remember the smaller, equally as important, tasks.
Here at Reborn, there is full transparency on what is to be achieved from our staff on a weekly basis. We make sure each expectation are tangible and attainable goals as to not overstress them. This allows comfort that these items are getting done while improving the workflow of the office.
This little things at work do in fact influence the big picture goal you have for your company. So don’t forget to celebrate the micro wins you accomplish through the day. They make a difference in the long run.
Set Deadlines for Yourself
Deadlines are a big deal. Not only do they keep your business running but they also help keep you accountable as well. And when it comes to work responsibilities, everyone has their own methods of getting their work done. You have those who prepare each detail accordingly while others allow last minute panic to fuel their motivation. Some also become overwhelmed with the work which put a large burden on them. I found that the best course of action to completing large projects is breaking it down into small doable tasks and set a specific deadline for each one. Not only does this help keep the overall project manageable but it also allows for flexibility if you require more time on a specific detail. This also helps with the smaller details and prevent anything important from slipping through the cracks.
Get Better at Saying “No”
Saying no in your workplace seems almost taboo some times. This can be with clients, bosses, family member or friends. But being a “yes man” is usually a red flag with many staff member. From experience, we had an employee like this and took on anything we gave him. One day he just spontaneously quit. His reasoning? We were overworking him with various task while feeling underappreciated. And it’s sad to say this happens everyday.
The fact that he did not feel comfortable enough to express his concerns to us was disheartening. Because, while our goal is to grow as a business, we do not want put excess stress on our staff in order to achieve that. From that, we learned that open communication is important from our staff. So now we try to make it clear to all that they can come and express any concerns to us without repercussions. We all have our own limits and have to set our own boundaries so our wellbeing isn’t effected. So if saying no or finding alternate solutions are what you need to do to maintain your sanity, don’t be afraid to do so.
Don’t Multitask
Some people proudly state that their best work quality is their ability to multitask. I’m sorry, but I’m here to tell you that’s not the case. In reality, it is impossible to work on 2 separate task simultaneously. Attempting to multitask can also do more harm than good as it can effect the quality of work that is done. For us, we dedicate our efforts to one project at any given time. This is because any task we take on requires our full attention and effort in order to get the best result. So make sure you give your best effort to whatever task you have right now. This way, you can get the best outcome possible.
Be Proactive, Not Reactive
Nobody wants to encounter issues when running a company. But the reality is that all companies are faced with events that interrupt work flow. You have to be ready for the unexpected at any given moment. Now planning for the unexpected sound counterintuitive and an oxymoron but it is possible with some planning. Creating preemptive processes as failsafe guards is an ideal method to overcome any hurdle you will face. You want be proactive with your business to ensure your workflow will not stop due to an unseen circumstance. Power outage in the building? Set up a system to temporarily work from home. Domain servers down? Have a back up server or offline capabilities to help keep things, somewhat, running. Give yourself the peace of mind by preparing yourself for the worse.
Conclusion
At Reborn Consultants we are nowhere near perfect. But we run on over 10 years worth of different implementation methods reach the best level of productivity. In the end, the only business that get left behind are those who aren’t open to change. The ability to change and evolve is essential for the growth and success of all companies. If you feel like your business is in need of a culture shift, we might be able to help. We will provide needed information that will help you grow your business and workforce in the right direction.