There are many things you need to get just right in order for your start-up to be as successful as it can be. It’s a matter of having a sound business plan, and a clear vision, and the proper tools to build something worthwhile, but it’s not all about you as a leader and owner of a business.
You can’t do it alone, you need a team to rely on, and while your staff may be lovely, and passionate, and professional, productivity levels won’t always be at an all-time high. But thankfully, there are ways to increase productivity, so here are some tips and tricks on how to keep morale high and encourage and stimulate productivity in your team.
1. Compensate Your Staff Handsomely
First thing’s first – if you respect your staff and want them to be as productive as possible and produce quality work for you, then the compensation must be in line with the work they are doing and the expectations you have from them. Sure, if you pay less, you probably still have people willing to work for you, but they will do so begrudgingly, and will not do their best work. No one feels motivated and productive when they feel like they are not paid enough for their efforts.
Monetary payment is the first sign that you respect your staff, their time, their work, and their dedication, and that you are willing to compensate it accordingly. Pair that with performance and end-of-the-year bonuses, and you will end up with a highly motivated team who is both passionate about their work and satisfied with their compensation.
2. Respect Breaks And Time Off
No one can do their best work without taking a break from time to time. Everyone who’s seen The Shining knows that all work and no play can be dangerous for the psyche. Breaks should be sacred – that includes lunch breaks, and around 10 minutes for every hour or two of work. The brain cannot focus effectively for more than an hour at a time, so going over that time doesn’t actually do much for productivity.
In fact, studies have shown that we are actually only productive for a whopping 3 hours per day, out of 8. Makes you wonder why we put so much focus on working longer hours, when we could just accomplish everything we need to in half a day.
3. Create A Stimulating And Relaxing Office Environment
This is a point most people overlook, but the environment you work in actually has a massive effect on your productivity, and how effective and efficient you are in your work. A chaotic, disorganised, noisy, stressful work environment is not conducive to great productivity.
However, if you have an office space that is sleek, modern, and carefully laid out to maximise productivity and stimulate creativity, you may achieve very different results. The Base can offer you a choice of office spaces that can fit your needs and your staff’s needs.
4. Organise Staff Days/Nights Out
If you work hard, then you also need to play hard. And why not do it together, as a group? It’s important that you and your staff are a tight-knit group, have good chemistry, and can rely on each other. To foster trust and a closer relationship, you might want to organise some group activities, like a team building of sorts. It can be in the form of fun days out, or even just a regular evening at the pub. The point is to spend time together and get to know each other, in order to make things more comfortable at work, to increase morale and productivity.
5. Pamper Your Staff
And speaking of morale, sometimes, your team is going to be in a slump. Maybe they’re tired, or just experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder with the season change, but you need to do something to shake things up. Pampering your staff with free pizza, desserts, or fun activities around the office can do a lot to change the energy in the room. Even something as small as some bean bags and a dart board or billiards table can switch things up and make your staff feel appreciated and relaxed, giving them more energy for a productive work day.
As you can see, knowing what to do to help and support your staff is essential in boosting staff productivity. There are several aspects to the problem that need to be addressed and taken care of, including the office space you create, the compensation you offer, and how hard you work on fostering close relationships within your team. Make sure that as a good leader, you take on an active role in increasing productivity in the workplace, and these 5 tips can be the great start you needed.
