When productivity is running high in your business, it’s like a well-oiled engine. But, when productivity starts to lag, it can cause your business to slow down or all-together seize up and grind to a halt. So, when your business engine is starting to show some wear and tear, how do you get it firing on all cylinders again? Here are a few tips to get your business’ productivity revved up:
1. Perform regular maintenance checks.
An easy way for your productivity to wane (and a trap that a lot of businesses big and small fall into!) is to keep doing things the same way simply because that is how you’ve always done them. So, just like you would with your car, perform regular maintenance checks within your business. Actually put time on your calendar, whether it’s monthly, seasonally, etc., to check in with your staff and identify those speed bumps and road blocks in your processes that are slowing them down.
Once you’ve identified those road blocks, make sure to act on fixing them. There are always new systems, technologies and processes that can be implemented. Really listen to your staff, as they may have solutions that you never would have thought of. These maintenance checks can go a long way to keeping your business productive and on the road to success.
2. Get a pit crew.
Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of trying to do it all themselves. But, you cannot truly be productive without some help and nothing will make you crash and burn faster than trying to go it alone. So, get a pit crew!
A race car driver’s pit crew is the epitome of productivity and efficiency. Each member has their own tasks that they are responsible for and it is clearly spelled out, so that there is no confusion or overlap. Apply this same idea to your own business. Delegate out all of the smaller tasks that take up your valuable time, with clear directives and systems so that your crew knows what they are each responsible for. This will allow you to keep your focus on the big picture tasks that will keep moving your business towards the finish line.
3. Keep your gas tank full.
Just like a car needs gas in order to run, you and your staff need fuel for your productivity to remain at a high level. Keeping morale high is the essential fuel that will keep your employees and your business productive. One of the easiest (and cheapest!) ways to boost morale is to frequently give out praise. As long as it’s sincere and deserved, a simple “Great job!” or shout-out on the company’s website or social media accounts can really go a long way to keeping spirits and thus, productivity, up.
Using rewards for completing tasks can also help keep that productivity pedal to the metal. Bringing in coffee and donuts, having a pizza party at the end of a big project or even allowing goof-off breaks are some easy and relatively inexpensive ways to make sure that you and your employees are all constantly working on a full tank of gas. Once you have the budget, you should highly consider upgrading office perks, such as hiring an office coffee service to provide quality coffee all day to your hard-working
employees.
Use these tips and your productivity will be speeding at 100 miles per hour in no time!
Thanks to Robin Hardy of Integrity Virtual Services, Monica Strobel of The Appreciation Advantage, John Alexander of John Alexander’s Wealth Systems, Shawn Chhabra of ShawnChhabra.com and Dhugal Gardner of Chatter Buzz Media for the inspiration behind some of these ideas.
