12 Ways to Improve Productivity at the Workplace

Is it enough to simply have a job, an office or organization to work in, and get a get a cheque

and the end of the week? Not anymore. A workplace however large or small has to be driven by

efficiency and achievement that manifests itself in the form of tangible results for the

organization, and is rewarding for the employee. Less productive inputs and lower efficiency

levels are bound to affect the business and jeopardize its sustainability and survival.

Employee productivity is a major concern for employers and lower productivity cannot be

blamed on the employee entirely. A lot of it has to do with the environment at the work place,

and the work conditions along with a series of factors that define the work culture. Employers

have to implement wide spread changes in their setup to improve the productivity of their work

force.

Employee talent is a valuable asset for a company or organization, and it needs to be tapped to

its fullest by keeping the employees motivated to perform and deliver the results they are

qualified for and capable of. Employers may often believe that once they have recruited the best

talent in the field, the results will inevitably follow. Not necessarily, if you look beneath the

surface to see the environment this talent works in.A few factors that can help to improve the employee productivity at the workplace are:

1.      Accountability- Every employee needs to be well aware that he is accountable for his

actions and decisions, and he can neither pass the buck or pass the blame to someone else. This

will help him work more meticulously , take cautious rather than reckless decisions, and not take

advantage of his place, position or relationship with his superiors.

2.      Follow up- Employers often set targets and feel their job is done. No, every target or

milestone set needs to be followed up as well, to see if the progress is sufficient and if not,

whether any interim measures can be taken before it is too late to salvage a situation. It also

keeps the employee on track,  ensuring there is consistent effort throughout the lifetime of the

project

3.      Manage the work force but avoid micromanagement- It is well known that a large pool

of employees does need to be managed, provided direction and given assistance. But with this

they must also be trusted, given freedom to operate in their style and adopt measures which they

think are the best to deliver results. This freedom to act as they deem fit helps to keep them

encouraged, motivated and happy in the belief that they are trusted. Micro management is a

human tendency but one that is detrimental to achievement, since it makes mere puppets out of

employees, who are expected to toe the boss’ line and not think for themselves. Employees need

to think for themselves, analyze the consequences of every decision or action to be able to give

their best to their jobs. And the employers must make it possible for their workers to do so.

4.      Encourage, motivate, reward and recognize- The employer must ensure that on his part

he always has words of encouragement for his staff. Encouraging them helps them move forward

and do even better, and makes the worker feel happy. Innovative ways of motivating them spurs

them even more. For example, holidays or conferences paid for by the company have been found

to motivate employees immensely. Rewarding the hard work put in by employees makes them

continue to work in the same fashion, and if the employee feels that his work is not appreciated

in words or in material terms, he may gradually stop doing so, since he may feel that others

working less are given the same too, so he need not work more. Rewards, and other ways of

keeping employees happy makes them feel that their effort is being recognized and that they are

needed by the company. Without these, they may soon start looking for greener pastures and new

jobs.

5.      Reach out to employees by seeking them out- Every employee loves to feel he has the

ears of the management who will recognize him and listen to what he says. Display of inter

personal skills in which the boss appears humane and one of them, rather than a larger than life,

distant figure, helps to have employees warm up to him and feel happy working for him. A bit of

effort to reach out helps them all do better. If this extends beyond the work place it may prove to

be even more encouraging to increase employee productivity.

6.      Demand realistic targets- employers need to set realistic goals that are within the limits of

achievement. While an aggressive employer may want his people to outstretch themselves to

achieve farfetched goals, it may also burn them out.

7.      Team work- Team work always helps in increasing workplace productivity since there is

more input in the form of more ideas and minds at work. Working alone is not always the

happiest situation either, especially in the field. Successful team building and working together is

bound to bring out the best out of the employees who may also then compete with each other

ensuring the business is the winner.

8.      Ensure that people enjoy their work- The best performing employee is the happy

employee, and the employer has to find  ways of making his people happy. Besides working

conditions and the work culture implemented, he has to devise ways of making the work seem

challenging and interesting rather than mundane and boring.

9.      Break the monotony and rotate- While employers assign tasks according to an

employee’s core competence, even the task they are best at, can make an employee bored and his

work seem monotonous. This monotony can be broken with rotation and giving people new tasks

and exposure to other divisions. This adds their learning and helps them get a holistic view of the

business.

10.  Courses and improvement options- Employees are delighted when they can enhance their

skills and get additional learning opportunities sponsored by the employer. This helps them

learn, feel indebted for the money being spent on them, which also adds to their resume, and are

obliged to perform better by applying all the knowledge gained in these courses.

11.  Spend less time on meetings and more on action- The current trend to have more meetings

and discussion rather than spending more time working to achieve results, leads to precious

productive time loss. Meetings for reviews and sharing of ideas can be limited and kept short.

Employees should have more time to show results.

12.  Tools and equipment to raise productivity- Finally, the workplace must have the best

machinery, devices and equipment that yield error free results in the minimum possible time.

Efficient electronic equipment with no connectivity issues and breakdowns will help to save

precious time. They should take the place of paper work, and yield fast results. Some of these

include: Smart phones

Laptops

Tablet computers

Latest applications and software that offers quick connectivity and access

Digital recorders-these help to record thoughts and new ideas when they strike, when no paper is available and the fear is of forgetting the idea

Bluetooth to stay connected

Personal digital assistants or PDA’s

GPS to stay on track on the road

Thus the idea is to have devices that enhance efficiency and subsequently productivity at the

work place. The devices help to reduce the response time, improve customer service and cutting

costs, all imperative for workplace productivity. What are your thoughts?

The Bottom Line of Motivation And What Creates It   This article first appeared in the September, 2003 edition of the Jacksonville Business Journal

Everyone wants a motivated work force. But what is it that really creates motivation? The answer that immediately comes to mind is money. We believe that if we pay people more they will be more motivated. If we add an incentive or bonus people will work harder to get it.

There is some truth to these statements. Money and other tangible incentives do drive short term behavior. The problem is that it's like food. No matter how much you eat, in a few hours you're going to be hungry again. Using money as a motivator creates the same effect. It does drive short term behavior but it does not create sustained

internal commitment.

If you want to see real motivation look at volunteerism. Why do people volunteer to help others? To work in shelters? To help with food pantries? To build churches? To mentor children? To coach a Little League team? To build Habijax homes? What is it that drives these behaviors?

When people talk about their volunteer work you can hear the excitement. You can feel the passion. You can experience the personal reward they get from these activities. This is real motivation and it's not about money.

Here are the six factors that create the motivation, excitement and inspiration that leads to extraordinary performance and achievement.

MeaningfulnessPeople need to know that what they do really matters. This is important for the organization and for every individual. Leaders build meaningfulness by creating a clear, compelling vision and collective commitment to that vision. Then they make sure that all employees know how their job contributes to that vision and why it matters.

There is a story about three men in the Middle Ages who were working in a stone quarry in a small town. They were all doing the same work: shaping rocks into square building blocks that were going to be used in constructing a church for the town. But their approach to work was very different. The first man was unhappy, disgruntled and didn't do much. He described his work as chipping rocks into blocks in a hot and dusty quarry. The second man seemed contented. He described his work as making perfect building blocks that would be used to make a beautiful and strong building. The third man approached his job with enthusiasm and zeal. He described his work as the privilege of helping to build a monument to God. Meaningfulness is defined by the person doing the work.

AchievementWe all need to know that we are succeeding in accomplishing our goals. Leaders set clear goals that are challenging yet achievable, and acknowledge accomplishments. The highest performing sales organizations set quotas so that 80% of their sales force will achieve them. They know their winners are inspired to stretch even further.

The Work ItselfPeople want to do a whole job so they can see the result of their work, not just a piece that has no meaning. Combining different tasks and skills at different levels adds stimulation and variety. Effective leaders design jobs so people can do a whole piece of work, and see the result of their efforts. Volvo had a significant breakthrough in both productivity and quality in their Bus Division when they abandoned the traditional assembly line and replaced it with teams of people who collectively had the responsibility for the assembly of a whole bus - and engraved their names on the finished product!

AutonomyOnce people know what is expected of them they want the freedom and flexibility to perform using their own methods and their own style. Leaders give employees as much autonomy as their competence will permit. They know that over-controlling - or micro-managing - negatively impacts performance and destroys initiative. Nobody likes to work with someone standing over their shoulder.

Recognition

People need to be recognized for good work. Formal recognition programs acknowledge outstanding performance. But informal recognition has an even greater impact. Catch people doing something right and recognize them for it. I worked with a General Manager who never provided recognition. He said: "I don't need to recognize people. I just tell them when they make a mistake. In our company no news is good news." The only problem was that it didn't work. Performance was mediocre and the employees didn't care. Their attitude was "Why bother if the only feedback you ever get is a kick in the head?"

SupportPeople need the necessary support to do their work. Some support is tangible such as time and resources. Some support is intangible such as the willingness to listen and provide coaching. Employees need both and leaders need to provide them. It's not fair to give people challenging assignments without the ability to be successful.

If you design a work environment built on this foundation your employees will be more motivated...leading to better results and an excited workforce. And that creates sustainable competitive advantage!

How to Keep Your Employees Happy and Productive in the Midst of a Recession By Donna LaMar, PhD, and Betsy Laney

In light of today’s economic landscape, it’s more important than ever for companies to

have happy and productive employees. When employees are loyal and engaged in the

company, profits are higher. Conversely, when people feel unmotivated or undervalued,

the company suffers. Additionally, studies show that engaged employees miss less work,

perform better, and are more supportive of changes and willing to make them happen.

But keeping employees happy in any economy is hard work. Why? Because happiness is,

primarily, an inside job. In other words, happiness comes from within a person. However,

friends, family and employment can add to or detract from someone’s happiness level. So

if the workplace is stressful and/or painful things are happening, such as “back-stabbing”

and gossiping, employees’ production goes down.

Happy employees are also satisfied and feel a sense of accomplishment in their work.

They like themselves and what they do, and they find satisfaction from their work—a

sense that what they do is important and meaningful. Such feelings reduce stress, which

is a major factor of productivity.

In order to make your workplace one where happiness and productivity thrive, consider

the following guidelines.

Be a “Good” Employer

A “good” employer is one who sets clear expectations to employees, including what is to

be done, when it is to be done by, and where it goes after they complete their

responsibilities. Within these expectations, you need to set clear boundaries, demonstrate

healthy leadership and provide sound direction. This means spelling out rules,

regulations, policies and procedures. While you can usually accomplish this by creating a

comprehensive employee manual, a good employer or manager will also use the

“personal touch” by talking with employees in a group and in one-on-one settings.

Whatever expectations you set, make sure they are consistent with all employees. Include

such things as clocking-in early, break times, lunch hours, etc. For example, is it

acceptable to clock in early and leave work early? Are breaks mandatory? Will an

employee be “docked” if they consistently take too long for lunch? The more issues and

expectations you outline, the fewer problems arise, which leads to productive workers.

Help Employees to Feel Valued

Be encouraging to your employees and offer praise when appropriate. Thank employees

for doing a good job and let them know that you value them. Should something go wrong

or someone makes a mistake, don’t “punish” the person. Rather, talk to the person, teach the correct procedures and offer encouragement and further teaching when needed.

Remember that punishing people only makes things worse in that the employee may

become angry and bitter and may want to sabotage their work to get back at the company.

If errors continue after correction, then you may need to evaluate that person to make

sure he or she is a good fit for the job.

As an employer, you have an excellent opportunity to make a difference in your

employees’ lives. This may mean a smile, asking how their family is or asking about their

interests or problems. If you sense that someone is depressed, help that person get the

necessary resources, as employees with depression have higher absenteeism, increased

health problems and decreased performance. Remember that we are all humans working

together to get through life. We need to care about each other to get the best results.

Create a Productive Atmosphere

The physical layout of the office is important to maximizing productivity. People need

enough room to work, the correct supplies/materials and a comfortable and pleasant

environment. Make sure all equipment is designed ergonomically so that it positively

motivates workers by helping them with their needs to do the work.

Ecotherapy is another element of a productive environment. Some factors of ecotherapy

include:

o Make sure the environment has live green plants. People feel better about

themselves, their jobs, and the work they perform when they feel a

connection to nature around them. In fact, workers who are near plants or

windows report significantly higher job, boss, and co-worker satisfaction

than those without. They also report being happier. If live plants are not an

option, pictures or murals of outdoor scenes have some benefit.

o Give employees healthy air to breathe. Indoor air pollution is a serious

problem in buildings. Change air filters regularly, and if appropriate, allow

employees to keep their windows open.

o Utilize real sunlight when possible. If offices or workspaces don’t have

window access, install full spectrum or plant light bulbs in all fixtures,

including overhead florescent lights.

o Offer healthy food choices in the cafeteria or break room. Healthy food

helps people think better, improves mood and increases energy levels. Do

a healthy food challenge at work to encourage people to eat better. Also,

have a restaurant bring in healthy food occasionally for a catered lunch.

o Allow employees to personalize their work space, within reason. We all

need a place to call our own.

o Make the workplace family friendly. Life balance is a major stressor for

people. Therefore, allow workers to take time off for school events or to

stay home with mildly ill children without using sick or vacation days. If

possible, offer child care near or on premise. Research has shown the

employer can subsidize the care because it saves so much money from

decreased absenteeism. Offer 13 weeks of maternity leave and also some paternity leave, and have elder care resources and referral services and/or

dependent care assistance plans in place.

Get People Involved

Create a comprehensive employee manual that is clear and simply written. In it include

procedures for handling every imaginable scenario, including family emergencies. Ask

employees for their ideas for the manual so they feel a sense of ownership with the

company.

Additionally, help employees feel involved by having regular meetings where everyone

can voice their opinions and concerns. This has an added benefit in that the company can

gain valuable information about products and concerns that will hurt the bottom line.

Also, host special employee events where the family can be involved, such as picnics,

fairs, workshops, etc. The more sense of “family” you can create, the more productive

people will be.

Finally, have a designated charity where people can donate both money and time. This

helps each person to see the larger picture. Research indicates that people feel better and

have better lives when they volunteer. It also helps the company’s bottom line by

increasing employees’ performance and demonstrating to the community that the

company cares.

Keep ‘Em Happy; Keep ‘Em Working

When workers feel that they are a dynamic and essential part of the team, they are more

productive and willing to go the extra mile for their customers and co-workers.

Therefore, give praise openly, set goals appropriate to the work and always take your

employees’ needs seriously. By respecting and listening to your staff, you’ll be giving

them the motivational push they need to stay loyal and committed to the company’s

goals. And when you have a happy and productive workforce that is eager to contribute,

your company can weather any economic storm.

Donna LaMar, PhD, and co-founder Betsy Laney are psychologists who created The

Farm, an educational, mental health and preventive program for youth and families. They

help people learn and grow, as well as heal from traumas, abuse and neglect. Working

with animals, plants and nature, LaMar and Laney provide a unique form of eco-therapy

and counseling to overcome life’s challenges. In addition, LaMar is working on her book,

If Marie Can Do it, So Can I! about transcending abuse. For more information on their

work, visit: www.LivingFarm.org or call: 231-924-2401.

Building a happy and productive workplace

Often, workplaces have tight work schedules. Managers care only about work and rap employees on the knuckles if they fail to meet their schedules. Some managers have an unfriendly attitude

towards employees, even bordering on hostility at times. Micromanaging makes the situation worse. Under such circumstances, work becomes tedious and employees become stressed out, with no hope of growth. This kind of a toxic work atmosphere drastically affects workplace productivity. Maybe your workplace situation is not so bad, but you need to make sure that you are doing all it takes to keep your employees happy and interested in their work.

Here are a few suggestions that could help you:

Provide a Positive Atmosphere for Performance: Employees usually begin their careers with the objective of proving their mettle and expecting a flourishing career. However, as negativity creeps into their minds as a result of bad experiences or failures, they become less motivated. So, you need to ensure that your employees reach their performance objectives. For that, you need to provide them with the necessary training and support.

Creating a productive work environment is, moreover, as much the responsibility of the employer as the employees. The employees should also take proactive steps to tackle any performance hurdles they face by bringing them to the manager’s notice and discussing solutions.

Help them Think Positively and be Optimistic: Being happy is a challenge in itself and it is a double challenge when it comes to the workplace. Your employees may have many apprehensions about their work and growth. So, assure them of fair treatment and growth prospects by setting clear parameters and sticking to them.

Keep giving them genuine and impartial feedback on a regular basis. This instills trust in them. They feel positive about their careers in your organizations. Remember, a confident employee is more happy and productive.

Ensure that your Managers are Cheerful: Leaders can either make or break the work atmosphere. Subordinates look up to them for guidance and help. If they are unhappy, their subordinates cannot be happy either. So, ensure that you are a cheerful leader.

Throw Challenges but be Supportive: A career devoid of challenges can never inspire an employee. So, throw new challenges at your employees, keeping their strengths and weaknesses in view. In addition, ensure that they have all the necessary support to meet their expectations.

Thus, you can build a happy and productive workplace by creating an atmosphere that promises hope, optimism, and professional advancement for your employees.

Top 10 reasons why happiness at work is the ultimate productivity boosterMarch 27, 2007 @ 9:47 am · Filed under Best of site, Happy At Work

Lisa was falling behind at work. Every morning she woke up nervous about the workday

ahead of her. Every evening she went home thinking of all the tasks she hadn’t gotten

around to.

Lisa is a 35-year old engineer and project manager at a Danish IT company. With business

booming, keeping up had become a struggle – she felt she had to run really fast, to just to

stay in place.

With her in-box overflowing and people all around her clamoring for assistance on their

projects, she started to look at various productivity tools and systems and quickly settled on

the one she’d use. As is typical for Lisa, once she’s decided to do something, she does it,

and with new ways of tracking time, improved todo-lists and prioritizing her work, she did

notice that she was getting more work done.

But she still felt, that she could be more productive. While she was thinking about her next

step, it struck her: Some of what she did, she hated doing.

While she generally enjoyed her job, especially helping people plan their projects and

advising them on the best ways to move forward, some of her tasks were administrative in

nature. Tracking progress, updating various statics, generating reports, etc… . They didn’t

take up that much of her time – but they were a lot less fun. Let’s face it: to Lisa, they were

boring as hell.

She talked to her boss about it, and they decided to give those tasks to a project secretary.

This freed up a little time for Lisa, but mostly it allowed her to work on those parts of her job

that she really liked. Consequently Lisa became a lot happier at work – and THAT’S when her

productivity sky-rocketed. Now she had the energy to connect with her people and the

creativity to think up and implement new ideas. Instead of feeling stressed and harried, she

was optimistic and positive.

While her productivity system had definitely helped her get more done, the productivity

boost she got from being happy at work was many times bigger. Lisa is now working way

less hours – and getting much more done. And most importantly, she’s enjoying work a lot

more!

If you want to get more done at work, the productivity gurus out there will tell you that it’s

all about having the right system. You need to prioritize your tasks, you must keep detailed

logs of how you spend your time, todo-lists are of course essential, you must learn to

structure your calendar and much, much more.

But that’s not where you should start. You should start by liking what you do.

The single most efficient way to increase your productivity is to be happy at work. No

system, tool or methodology in the world can beat the productivity boost you get from

really, really enjoying your work.

I’m not knocking all the traditional productivity advice out there – it’s not that it’s bad or

deficient. It’s just that when you apply it in a job that basically doesn’t make you happy,

you’re trying to fix something at a surface level when the problem goes much deeper.

Here are the 10 most important reasons why happiness at work is the #1 productivity

booster.

1: Happy people work better with others

Happy people are a lot more fun to be around and consequently have better relations at

work. This translates into:

Better teamwork with your colleagues

Better employee relations if you’re a manager

More satisfied customers if you’re in a service job

Improved sales if you’re a sales person

2: Happy people are more creative

If your productivity depends on being able to come up with new ideas, you need to be happy

at work. Check out the research of Teresa Amabile for proof. She says:

If people are in a good mood on a given day, they’re more likely to have creative ideas that

day, as well as the next day, even if we take into account their mood that next day.

There seems to be a cognitive process that gets set up when people are feeling good that

leads to more flexible, fluent, and original thinking, and there’s actually a carryover, an

incubation effect, to the next day.

3: Happy people fix problems instead of complaining about them

When you don’t like your job, every molehill looks like a mountain. It becomes difficult to fix

any problem without agonizing over it or complaining about it first. When you’re happy at

work and you run into a snafu – you just fix it.

4: Happy people have more energy

Happy people have more energy and are therefore more efficient at everything they do.

5: Happy people are more optimistic

Happy people have a more positive, optimistic outlook, and as research shows

(particularly Martin Seligman’s work in positive psychology), optimists are way more

successful and productive. It’s the old saying “Whether you believe you can or believe you

can’t, you’re probably right” all over again.

6: Happy people are way more motivated

Low motivation means low productivity, and the only sustainable, reliable way to be

motivated at work is to be happy and like what you do. I wrote about this in a previous post

called Why “motivation by pizza” doesn’t work.

7: Happy people get sick less often

Getting sick is a productivity killer and if you don’t like your job you’re more prone to

contract a long list of diseases including ulcers, cancer and diabetes. You’re also more prone

to workplace stress and burnout.

One study assessed the impact of job strain on the health of 21,290 female nurses in the US

and found that the women most at risk of ill health were those who didn’t like their jobs. The

impact on their health was a great as that associated with smoking and sedentary lifestyles

(source).

8: Happy people learn faster

When you’re happy and relaxed, you’re much more open to learning new things at work and

thereby increasing your productivity.

9: Happy people worry less about making mistakes – and consequently make

fewer mistakes

When you’re happy at work the occasional mistake doesn’t bother you much. You pick

yourself up, learn from it and move on. You also don’t mind admitting to others that you

screwed up – you simply take responsibility, apologize and fix it. This relaxed attitude means

that less mistakes are made, and that you’re more likely to learn from them.

10: Happy people make better decisions

Unhappy people operate in permanent crisis mode. Their focus narrows, they lose sight of

the big picture, their survival instincts kick in and they’re more likely to make short-term,

here-and-now choices. Conversely, happy people make better, more informed decisions and

are better able to prioritize their work.

The upshot

Think back to a situation where you felt that you were at peak performance. A situation

where your output was among the highest and best it’s ever been. I’m willing to bet that you

were working at something that made you happy. Something that you loved doing.

There’s a clear link between happiness at work and productivity. This only leaves the

question of causation: Does being productive make us happy or does being happy make us

productive? The answer is, of course, yes! The link goes both ways.

But the link is strongest from happiness to productivity – which means that it if you want to

be more productive, the very best thing you can do is focus on being happy with what you

do?

So how do you get to be happy at work? There are two ways, really:

1. Get happy in the job you have. There are about a million things you can do to

improve your work situation – provided you choose to do something, rather than wait

for someone else to come along and do it for you.

2. Find a new job where you can be happy. If your current job is not fixable, don’t wait –

move on now!

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