5 Low Cost Ways To Increase The Productivity Of Your Team
You don’t have to spend a fortune to ensure that your team is happy and productive. Sure, a pool table and ball pit are nice but there are some other, more cost-effective, techniques you can use to amp up your team’s productivity. In this article we look at 5 low-cost ways you can help your employee’s achieve their best.
If you’re not working with a huge budget, you’re going to need to creatively comprise some solutions to boost the productivity of your team. If you feel as though you’re not accomplishing as much as you probably should be, you might want to rethink some of the ways you do things around the office. Making big changes doesn’t necessarily involve big money – as long as you’re willing to commit to making them.
1. Party More
When was the last time you celebrated something in the office? Does everyone breathe a sigh of relief and stop pulling their hair out when a stressful project is completed, or do you all let loose and really enjoy yourselves? Your team members need to blow off some steam. Celebrating successes will bring everyone closer together while helping them see that all of their efforts have been worthwhile. They’ll become excited about completing a project, rather than exhaustedly thankful that it’s over with. You can even celebrate holidays together to create a sense of unity.
2. Clean Out the Office
If things are cluttered and you have a ton of old documents you don’t need to have handy, it’s going to take much longer for your team members to accomplish simple tasks. Keeping enough open floor space and only housing relevant equipment and paperwork will improve traffic and efficiency throughout your office. If you have things you can’t donate or otherwise need to keep, you can always find inexpensive community storage solutions on a site like Spacer. If you ever need to go back and get something for a special purpose, it’s relatively easy.
3. Feed Them Well
Junk food tastes good, but it doesn’t make you feel good. It’s often high in salt and empty carbohydrates that don’t create readily available energy. Take out the vending machines and stop providing donuts. Opting for whole grains, fruit, nuts, or even lean proteins like turkey jerky, can help your employees fuel themselves more efficiently. Nobody will get groggy or feel bogged down after they’ve eaten – they’ll feel nourished and keep on going.
4. Offer Thoughtful Incentives
If you can’t give them more money, what can you give? There are plenty of rewards you can offer to incentive productivity. Offer flexible scheduling once in a while. Let people cut out early if they have something important to do, and make sure that everyone gets their off days consecutively once in a while. Pick up the tab for the morning coffee run. Invite people to stay after work to watch the hockey game together. Show them how much you appreciate them.
5. Get Involved
One of the best things a leader can do to increase the productivity of the team is to get involved. Don’t micromanage, don’t start breathing down people’s necks, and don’t do a simple progress check and walk away. Sit at the table with them, ask them what they need from you, and provide it for them. If they’re stuck or running behind, hang around for that all-nighter and put in the same amount of effort that everyone else is. It’s inspiring when a leader is willing to go the extra mile to support the team. They’ll understand how much you value them, and it will make them value you even more. The best kind of productivity is when team members and team leaders are equally devoted to the success of a project.
Don’t forget to ask your team members if they need help or new equipment or more training. A lack of productivity can come from a lack of resources that they need to do their jobs properly. If you keep communication active and healthy around the office, your employees won’t be hesitant to tell you what’s up.
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