4 Reasons Your Employees Aren’t As Productive As They Should Be (And What You Can Do About It)
When you run your own business, it can feel like every day is a relentless race against the clock. A frenzied attempt to squeeze every drop of value out of every penny of business spending and every ounce of productivity out of every minute of every day. While entrepreneurs face enormous challenges, they propel themselves onwards because, quite frankly, they have no choice. Their career, their livelihood and their reputations are intrinsically tied to their businesses. They have no choice but to be productive all day every day. Thus, it can be a source of frustration when their employees don’t share the same drive, enthusiasm or productivity.
When you run your own business, it can feel like every day is a relentless race against the clock. A frenzied attempt to squeeze every drop of value out of every penny of business spending and every ounce of productivity out of every minute of every day. While entrepreneurs face enormous challenges, they propel themselves onwards because, quite frankly, they have no choice. Their career, their livelihood and their reputations are intrinsically tied to their businesses. They have no choice but to be productive all day every day. Thus, it can be a source of frustration when their employees don’t share the same drive, enthusiasm or productivity.
Nonetheless, as tempting as it may be to blame the employee, it’s necessary to take a step back and try and ascertain the reasons why their productivity may be flagging and from this formulate a plan to boost productivity once more.
They’re hungry
Human beings are… well… only human. As such, no matter how motivated they are their energy levels are bound to plummet in line with their blood sugar. As such, your employees should never, ever be discouraged from taking their lunch breaks and they should be afforded a modicum of flexibility wherever possible, to take a meal break when they feel it would most benefit them. Failing this, a tolerant policy on desk snacking can help tide employees over until their lunch break.
They don’t trust you
It’s hard to be productive when you don’t feel valued. Sometimes, business owners have their attention pulled in so many directions that they can overlook potential safety issues that could undermine employees’ trust in the safety of the workplace and in you as their employer. Remember these workplace safety tips. It’s also important to create a culture wherein employees feel that they can come to you with any concerns, issues or reservations they may have. Speaking of workplace culture…
There’s a toxic atmosphere in the workplace
Sometimes, employers can be completely oblivious to bad blood between employees caused by harsh words in the heat of the moment. In the fast paced and occasionally stressful context of the work environment, tempers can flare and friction can be generated between employees. Over time this can create a toxic atmosphere that casts a pall over the entire workplace. If you suspect that this is interfering with your employees’ productivity, it’s imperative that you talk to them and make sure that they are aware that they can speak to you in confidence. Not only can this help to resolve issues between employees it can boost their trust in you.
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They aren’t properly incentivized
Finally, a job well done is its own reward… But let’s be realistic here. Can we really expect our employees to remain motivated and productive if the hard work, effort and endeavour they put in every day is not reflected in their pay slip? If your employees don’t feel valued and rewarded they’re less likely to go the extra mile. It may be worth revisiting your incentives scheme. This is likely to be much more meaningful and effective if your employees themselves have a hand in shaping it, ensuring that they get access to the incentives that matter the most to them.