9 Productivity Increasing Techniques For Managers To help Them Unlock Growth

Do you think your team is productive? Do you have any productivity-boosting techniques that can help them be more effective and efficient? To learn how to improve their productivity, managers should take a look at the nine productivity-increasing techniques listed in this blog. By doing so, they will be able to boost the performance of their team and unlock the potential for growth in the long run.

Before doing that, we should first understand what exactly is productivity and what problems do managers face with inadequate productivity. that goes as follows-

What is productivity

Productivity is an assessment of the efficiency of an employee or group of employees to determine whether the individuals are performing up to their maximum capability. It is the obvious measure used to determine their performance. In simple terms, it tells you about how much output an employee can produce in a period or overtime and at what cost (or profit margin) they are operating.

Evaluation of employee productivity mainly depends on some factors. These include personal/individual performance levels, the number of resources and right tools available to an employee, the amount of knowledge and talent of the employee in the specific field, and the active application of those resources, tools, and knowledge. Further, it also depends on the time and skill that an individual requires in providing the output.

Increasing productivity is a significant part of performance management which is a huge part of a manager’s role. Therefore, managers need to learn the art and science of increasing productivity. It will not just help them achieve their goals but will take them a long way towards growth.

Problems faced by managers due to inadequate productivity

Low employee productivity is an endemic problem faced by managers in organizations. The Problems which may occur due to low productivity include-

> Wastage of time talent and energy

Employees are bound to waste time, talent, and energy by being unproductive. They take a lot of extra time than required to do their tasks which could have been done in much less time. An example can be taking hours to write an email. These employees waste their talent by not putting that into good use. They also waste their energy by either spending it on unnecessary tasks or by spending it much more than required on the necessary ones.

One thing which is very common in these kinds of employees is the distraction from work and responsibilities. By being unproductive they will waste time and energy for not just themselves but also their team members. This wastage will create a lot of problems for managers.

> Not being able to achieve goals

By having unproductive employees on board it will be highly difficult or even impossible for managers to achieve the goals they set for their teams. Unproductive employees won’t be able to deliver what will be expected from them. An unproductive employee acts as the bad fish in the pond as his/her productiveness has bad effects on other teams members too. Eventually, the whole team’s performance will be affected regularly which may not allow them to achieve their goals.

> Managers may miss getting larger rewards and promotions

A manager’s productivity is decided by how his/her team does perform. It is expected from managers that the team they lead should be able to achieve their goals. Their teams should prove to be progressive and productive. Therefore when a team comes out to be unproductive and is not able to achieve its goals, their manager is the one to face the consequences. The higher management may overlook giving rewards or promoting them higher up in their hierarchy.

> They end up having low motivation

When you do not receive what you expected from your team, and when you are not bringing the results that you expected, it becomes difficult for a manager to remain motivated for a long time. Not being able to achieve the promotions or rewards you deserved just because of an inefficient and unproductive workforce is another demotivating factor for the managers.

Productivity Increasing Techniques

1. Create a Performance-Based Organizational Structure for higher productivity

This is a management technique that rewards employees based on their productivity and performance. Managers are then responsible for establishing and enforcing these standards. If your subordinates are not productive, then you will soon face a situation of chaos with them. However, if the team members see their managers supporting and taking interest in what they do, it makes an impact on its performance positively. That way this method ultimately increases the productivity of the team.

2. Spread a positive environment in the workplace

Fostering good morale among workers will vastly improve their productivity level as well. Employees love to work for those that appreciate their efforts. Be it praise or flattery whichever appears most fruitful for them is what motivates them best to do better at work. This improves performance levels unconsciously without necessarily requiring monetary rewards. Individual rewards are not necessarily the only motivating factor for work.

Likewise, the culture of an organization is one of the main drivers of the level of productivity among its workforce. Therefore, creating a positive work environment is an effective way to get more from your team than what you normally receive.

3. Use Feedback to Motivate Employees

Giving feedback is an essential part of managing people, as it allows managers to identify areas in which employees need improvement and motivates them to work harder to meet the organization’s goals. Similarly, feedback also helps to improve organizational productivity.

Furthermore, employee feedback is critical for employee motivation, engagement, and productivity. You motivate your employees to do better and be better every day by showing them the direct impact of their skills and strengths through feedback,

4. Encourage Employee Recognition Programs

These programs can encourage employees to stay with the organization for the long term. It is done by rewarding the hard work and dedication of employees. The managers can create a program based on the company’s culture and values. This will increase employee morale. They should feel like part of a team that appreciates their contribution.

As a result, Recognition increases individual employee engagement. It also increases productivity and loyalty to the company. By managers being consistent in giving their employees the recognition they deserve, the chances of increasing productivity significantly go up.

5. Encourage Innovation and Creativity in your work environment- for higher productivity

When employees are permitted to experiment and do new things, they are more likely to come up with unique ideas. which mostly are creative and innovative. These ideas can help the organization grow. They may come up with ideas that lower downs the difficulties of the tasks provided to them. They may even use innovation and creativity to come up with ideas that make their work easier or their contribution more effective. all these positive outcomes which may come out of creativity and innovation will ultimately increase productivity.

6. Encourage Team Collaboration

A team-oriented approach encourages employees to work together towards common goals, which leads to greater productivity and efficiency. Managers can promote collaboration by providing clear and concise instructions, setting an example, and maintaining positive morale.

Likewise, this collaboration changes the way you work together and problem-solve, resulting in more innovation, efficient processes, increased success, and improved communication. All these positive outcomes of collaboration are proven drivers of increased productivity in employees. Good collaboration can also help managers to effectively delegate and manage workload.

7. Promote Employee Retention

When employees are happy and comfortable in their job, they are more likely to stay with the organization for a long period and be productive throughout. Managers can promote employee retention by providing positive feedback, praising good work ethics, and providing benefits that exceed those of other companies in the same sector.

Employees leave managers not companies. That is why Managers training themselves is the best way to improve employee retention rates and increase productivity and profitability. They should know how to retain their employees. If unhappy employees quit now and then, the time required by managers for effectively filling their roles will negatively influence productivity. On the other hand, if they are content and do stay with the company, their productivity should expand over time.

8. Encourage Employee Engagement

Employees engaged in their work, are more motivated and productive. Managers can encourage employee engagement by providing a positive environment where employees feel valued and rewarded for their hard work.

Engaged employees are much more productive. That means they work more efficiently and with the success of the organization in mind. High levels of employee engagement encourage talent retention, encourage customer loyalty, and improve organizational performance and stakeholder value.

9. Learning and development programs for increasing productivity

The most important and most effective way of ensuring a rise in the productivity of employees is learning and development. Learning and development is the process of developing new skills in your employees by offering training, coaching, or mentoring. Employees need to be able to learn new things outside their field to expand knowledge areas.

Learning and development can also be helpful when employees learn new skills from their managers. Managers should keep track of their employee’s development so that they know what kinds of things are necessary for them to do better. It will make sure the training is going in the right direction.

Conclusion

To conclude- Productivity is the key to growth. Without productivity, there can be no profitability. As managers, we need to do everything in our power to increase productivity and unlock more of the potential that lies within us. That is why it’s so important for us to implement these 9 techniques that can help you become a better manager and ultimately help your team get more productive. Stay tuned for more relevant information on this topic!