By Sharon Jones
Disastrous productivity level due to the wasting of time and resources is a major issue across all many business large or small. However, for the small operator or micro business, productivity really can be a big deal. After all, your margins are slim, and any unnecessary delays can put you in a place where achieving your targets for that period is impossible, a problem that will then have a negative knock-on effect on your profits. With that in mind, find out below how to eliminate poor productivity and ensure that your business is running as efficiently as possible.
Eliminate redundant tasks
First of all, one way in which you can boost productivity in your business is to identify and then eliminate tasks that are redundant. This task can sound pretty easy, but it can be tough because most people are resistant to change and like to keep thing the way they have always been.
In fact, employees can often get twitchy when you are attempting to streamline task as they feel they might be out of a job soon. However, if you explain to them what is happening and include them in the process, you are likely to get a much better result and find that thing get more productive faster.
In particular, consider tasks that are by many individuals in a day that only really need to be done once. Things like writing letters and documents, where most use a standard text, and just a few individual details are added.
You could save a great deal of time by introducing a document management system that allows everyone to work from the same updated templates rather than come up with their own every time. You could even increase continuity and standards across different departments and employees as well. These all being things that will have a positive effect on your business.
Cut the cord to your email
Next, let’s look at emails. Even bosses of companies have a problem here, as there seems to be an innate belief that it is vital to read every message the moment that it comes in.
Guess what? There isn’t! In fact, doing so is distracting you and breaking your focus for the task that you are working on. Something that makes everything take longer, and you feel more stressed. So get everyone to turn off their email notifications, and schedule two short action times in the day where they can deal with them to improve productivity.
Bye bye smartphones
Smartphones in the workplace can be a good thing, especially if they are in use for company business. However, there are so many distractions including apps, and news, and messengers on them that they can easily suck attention away from work tasks.
Banning smartphones may be controversial but just think how focused people will be.
That is why if you want to improve productivity in a major way you could take the controversial decision to ban smartphones in the workplace. Although, you do need to remember that this will apply to yourself as well as your employees! Who knows though, maybe it will help you to get more done too?
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