The goal of most workplaces is to boost productivity while maintaining a fun work environment. However, this can be a difficult balance to attain and many have studied ways we can achieve this delicate balance. Here are seven tips for staying productive in a team office.
Find the Right Work Environment
Your work environment plays a huge role in how productive you and your team are throughout the day. According to this study from the Journal of Public Affairs, spaces with brightly lit interiors, windows, and clean spaces can help boost productivity. If you are going to be spending the majority of your day there, your office should be set up to produce maximum productivity. Consider renting an office space such as one from YourOffice Ballantyne that offers customized workspaces to fit your needs. Ballantyne also offers two months of free rent for fully furnished private offices so you can save money while boosting your efficiency.
Set Clear Goals
Having clear, realistic goals will help keep team members on track and increase their motivation. Setting goals not only makes employees focus better, it can also boost their confidence and sense of self-achievement when these goals are met. This is why setting obtainable goals is critical. Setting smaller goals that can be achieved in a shorter amount of time will increase this sense of achievement more than larger, more time-consuming goals.
Get Rid of the Nine to Five Schedule
More and more companies are now allowing their employees to have flexible schedules because they realize how much it can actually increase team productivity. Allowing flexible schedules cuts down on employees calling in sick and produces less anxiety about being somewhere at a specific time. As long as the work gets done and employees know what is expected of them, flexible hours can be incredibly beneficial for many businesses.
Make Sure Every Employee Feels Valued
Everyone wants to feel like they are making a difference and contributing to the team. This involves making sure that team members are recognized for their achievements and rewarded. It can be as simple as an informal recognition of good work to a formal recognition during a meeting or public forum. Acknowledging hard work will foster a sense of loyalty to the team and to the entire company.
Build a Sense of Community
Social outings that bond your team help increase productivity. A study from the University of Michigan found that “positive and virtuous practices” can help increase employee performance. This is because the positive work culture greatly influences an employee’s attitude, leading them to produce higher quality work. While employees don’t have to form tight bonds to be more effective, studies have shown that team building exercises and forming interpersonal relationships within the office can increase team communication and productivity. Happy hour and team lunches can be an excellent way to build a sense of community within the office.
Use Different Language
Most people will complete a task happily when it’s their own idea, but forcing someone to do something is a quick way to create a disgruntled employee. Oftentimes, our language is the reason for this abrupt change in attitude. To increase productivity, consider rephrasing requests in a way that flatter the employee or make it seem like their skills are highly valued for the task. Requests that appear more like a choice and less of a demand can have a significant change in the employee’s perception of the task. This is especially critical when one team member is requesting something of another. Also, acting grateful and showing recognition are key once they accept the task.
Provide Incentives
Vocal recognition of achievements is often not enough for employees to sustain their motivation. Providing incentives such as paid time off, cash bonuses, and pay raises do more than just reward employees for good work. They also encourage employees to continue this success and help motivate them to achieve more rewards. In addition, other team members can see how other employees are rewarded for hard work and strive to achieve these rewards as well.
It’s Easy to Increase Your Team’s Productivity Now
Finding ways to boost productivity in a team office will benefit everyone involved by giving employees a sense of achievement and increasing the goals of the company. With so much at stake, there is no reason to not follow these steps. YourOffice Ballantyne currently has space available for fully furnished private offices that provides tons of amenities and is offering two months of free rent for you and your team to take advantage of. Boosting team productivity is both easy and rewarding and all businesses should follow these tips for greater success.
