Doing things is not always efficient just because of doing. As managers, every action we take for ourselves and our team should be aimed at increasing productivity. Resources are scarce by definition and need to be subject to a continuous improvement and productivity extends beyond simply completing tasks: it also involves adapting to the constantly evolving environment in which we operate.
It’s important to understand that achieving peak productivity is not an instantaneous process, but rather a gradual journey with intermittent periods of slowing and subsequent acceleration.
Keep en eye with a plan
Regularly evaluating the productivity of resources and, on a wider scale, organisation is essential in order to identify what strategies are effective and what can be improved, similar to what we do in assessing individual performance.
A quick process to conduct the analysis
Consider exploring the following areas either individually or as a team:
- What specific activities or tools are contributing to improved group performance? When it comes to enhancing group performance, various activities and tools are highly effective, don’t limit yourself to the most common ones (i.e. team building exercises, problem-solving challenges, outdoors activities, and workshops), but rather work on the full spectrum in order to determine who is in need of training, and who should be assigned to which tasks, to produce the optimal group performance.
- What obstacles are hindering our progress, and how can they be addressed? Knowing the problems is the first way to sort them out.
- How are time and resources being allocated, and are there shared metrics and plans in place to optimise efficiency? Project management tools and software, are also critical for you as a leader to share a methodology for monitoring progress and outcomes. The more they are shared and known, the easier the dialogue.
- Are there identifiable periods of low productivity, and what are the contributing factors? Not all times are equal in a team and understanding why they happen helps in reducing their duration
- How can we enhance the effectiveness of meetings and better utilise participants’ time? Meetings are one derailers of productivity if not addressed correctly.
- In what ways can we innovate and streamline our work processes? In today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving business landscape, it is crucial for organisations to continually innovate and streamline their work processes not only to achieve productivity but also to maintain competitivity. World changes, we should too.
- Is there effective planning in place, or are there conflicts and overlaps in the allocation of resources? remember that resources are limited and sorting out conflicts helps in streamlining work.
