Creative ways to increase business productivity today

There are many creative ways to increase business productivity today. Achieving workplace productivity is not only about working hard, it’s also about working smart. Depending on the company and its employees, there may be different strategies that work best for maximizing productivity. Some common methods include setting and prioritizing goals, breaking down tasks into manageable steps, focusing on key performance indicators (KPIs), maintaining a positive attitude, and taking care of your physical well-being.

What can a business do to improve its productivity?

Business productivity is influenced by how engaged an employee is with their work and company. It’s the responsibility of managers and leaders to build an inspiring environment that encourages concentration.

This has become more vital than ever with remote work situations. You must devise strategies that engage employees both in the office and remotely. The more you can maintain the attention and interest of your workers, better chance you have at increasing productivity levels overall..

10 best ways to improve business productivity

If a company wants to be productive, it needs a plan. This plan should be clear so that employees know what is expected of them. Without this clarity, employees cannot be held responsible for their productivity. Here are 10 of the top tactics for maximizing effectiveness.

1. Keep things simple

It is important to have a productivity strategy, but you don’t need to make it complicated. Having a simple plan that is focused and has clear steps and outcomes can help you stay on task and be successful. 

2. Set reminders

Integrated task management and reminder apps like Todoist and Slack can help you stay organized by tracking what needs to be done on specific days and times, so your brain doesn’t have to. You can also set alerts and notifications at the team level for major milestones, with individuals setting their own tasks within the same channel for more granular items.

3. Review goals daily (or at least regularly)

It’s of the utmost importance to set goals in any business strategy. However, these become irrelevant if they aren’t being constantly reviewed and revised. Once you’ve established clear objectives, make sure that everyone has a way to monitor progress on a daily basis. If this isn’t viable for certain cases, then set feasible expectations; such as sending weekly activity reports or responding within 48 hours.

4. Minimize time-wasting activities

No matter where we are, there are always things that can distract us from our work. Successful managers know this and have ways to deal with the worst of these distractions. Here’s how to avoid some common productivity killers:

• Meetings: If you have to have a meeting, make sure it is necessary and that it has a clear agenda. Set time limits for each topic and make sure the meeting ends as soon as there is a resolution. This will help keep the meeting short and focused.
• Emails: There are many faster ways to communicate than email. For example, you can use Slack or a direct message (DM) to send a quick message. You can also have a video chat, or even better, pick up the phone and talk to the person directly. This is usually much more efficient than using email.
• Coworkers: Colleagues are important, but you also need to connect with them on a personal level. Have lunches together and offer video happy hours. This will help people get to know each other better. You can also create chat channels about topics that people are interested in.
• Lack of organization: Disorganization wastes time because people have to look for what they need. But if everything is organized, people can find things quickly and be more productive. An example of this is using Slack to organize a team. Slack lets you search conversations by channel, share files within projects, pin important docs for faster access and launch meetings all in one place.
• Social media: According to GlobalWebIndex’s “2021 Social Media Trends” report, people spend an average of nearly two and a half hours per day on social media platforms. To prevent your employees from distractions, have a policy in place that clearly states when it’s OK to use social media at work and when they should be focusing on their tasks.
• Procrastination: We all procrastinate sometimes. The best way to prevent it is to set deadlines and make sure that everyone is held accountable. Every person who has a project due should have someone following up with them to make sure they meet the deadline. You can also use goal-tracking tools like Coach.me or ATracker to help you stay on track.

5. Use productivity apps

Technology can help us and distract us. When we use it in a good way, apps can help our business productivity.Some of the most popular productivity apps include:

• Slack
• Todoist
• Dropbox
• Evernote
• Asana

6. Motivate your team

Achieving a balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is critical to achieving optimal productivity. Intrinsic motivation leads to self-reflective benefits that make a person want to be successful for their own personal satisfaction, while extrinsic motivation comes from external factors such as rewards or recognition. Extrinsic motivation comes from outside of a person and provides rewards for good behavior or reaching goals. This can be things like extra vacation days or a company party.

7. Avoid multitasking

People often say they are great at multitasking, but in reality, it is usually better to work on one thing at a time. Studies have shown that multitasking can decrease productivity by up to 40%. Try to give everyone an equal workload so that no one feels overworked. You can also delegate tasks by who is best at them or willing to do them, rather than by role or title. This will help reduce the amount of things you need to juggle at once and will help you put in more effort into each task.

8. Offer a wellness program

promote productivity. According to the Harvard Business Review, people with strong mental health are 23% more productive, and physically healthy employees are 17% more productive. Wellness encompasses physical and mental health, both of which canBenefits like weight-loss plans, health screenings or on-site fitness equipment are great strategies that help teams improve their overall productivity by focusing on the whole person.

9. Focus on focus

Employee burnout is a problem in every industry. When people are tired, they often don’t want to work and might get injured. A study in 2019 showed that people who take vacations improve their physical health, mental wellness, cognitive function, and relationships.

You can help prevent employee burnout by encouraging breaks and vacations. You can also offer remote work options to reduce the fatigue from commuting. There are many ways to stay in touch with your remote team while also improving productivity.

10. Hold one-on-one meetings

Some people find it hard to communicate their ideas in the workplace. They might be scared to share their ideas with their boss or their peers. To help them feel more included, set up collaborations with members of your team. Schedule regular meetings, either in person or on video chat, to discuss workload, goals and struggles. This will help improve everyone’s performance and experience.

 By following these tips, you can ensure that your team is productive and healthy. VAConnect’s virtual assistant services are designed to help you reach your business goals faster and more efficiently. We provide access to specialized experts to help you in specific areas that are critical to the success of your business.  

At VAConnect, we understand the importance of productivity in the workplace. That’s why we offer a variety of services and tools to help you and your team stay focused and achieve goals. From virtual assistant services to wellness programs, we have everything you need to increase productivity and improve your bottom line. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you reach your business goals!

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