Every employer wants to boost worker productivity without being oppressive. You might pay your employees, but you want them to reach peak performance. That’s why you need to think like a leader and not a manager.
Managers are all about controlling their workers but leaders take a supportive role. Instead of driving the bus – you’re in the back of the bus teaching them all to be better bus drivers.
In this post, we take a look at some of how you can boost performance by letting go and treating them more like adults instead of workers producing widgets in an assembly line.
Give Them Autonomy
While it might sound strange, giving team members autonomy over various tasks is one of the most practical ways to boost worker productivity. Instead of waiting for your approval, they make decisions themselves on how to proceed. This gives them a sense of responsibility and makes them feel empowered. It also gives them more ownership over what they are doing, encouraging them to personally invest more in the task.
Offer Flexible Work Hours
We’ve inherited the 9 to 5 routine from the Victorian era when workers had to show up to factories and work in lockstep. But we’re no longer living in that world. What’s more, it goes against our innate diversity.
Not all workers are the same. Some thrive on routine or early starts, while others prefer waiting until later in the day to get things going.
By offering flexible hours, you can allow workers to settle into a routine that suits them which boosts worker productivity. Some will be early risers, while others will be night owls.
Offer Development Activities
Most millennial employees want development opportunities. They want to progress their skills to increase their pay in the future.
Thus, professional development is a win-win. You can increase worker productivity while workers feel like they progress in their careers.
You can also invest in team-building activities. Not only are they fun, but they help to make teams more cohesive.
Provide Feedback
Feedback can sometimes be a bit scary, but it is also necessary. Without it, employees don’t always know what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong.
When giving feedback, try to make it as informal as you can. Be casual in your approach and explain what they should change and why to colleagues. This way, it doesn’t feel crushing when you say something negative about their work.
Open Channels of Communication
Lastly, all good businesses focus on communication to get as much value from team members as possible.
The best place to start is your company vision. When you explain this to colleagues, you point out why their work is so important to the corporate vision. Then, you give them a reason for coming to the office every day and giving it their all.
You also want to communicate about various changes and uncertainties. For instance, if demand is low, explain what you think and why things will turn around in the future. To achieve higher levels of worker productivity make the employees feel like they are an important part of the team and offer them more freedom.
