Managing your own procrastination and productivity is a challenge on its own, but managing a team takes that effort to a whole new level. Now you're no longer managing only your own expectations and ambitions, but also the ambitions of those who are working around you. Discrete teams can enjoy working from a naturally flowing environment which is focused on the solid creative goals.
The manager is usually the one in charge of managing the whole team, and it is often up to the manager to ensure that teams find a common ground for bonding and growing together, not to mention being able to work together on long-term projects.
Communication is the leading key component for teams to find that common ground of collaboration -- on top of being aligned with the vision of the project, the understanding of required steps that need to be taken in order to come closer to that vision, and having a team of individuals who all understand their individual purpose in the project.
If, as a manager or team coordinator, you're finding it hard to keep the productivity levels flowing and on the higher spectrum of the bar, then take time to scrutinize the following productivity tips for teams so that you can get a fresh perspective on how to make your team work for itself, rather than against itself.
Automated workflow
Business automation is really taking off in these times of technological advancements as business owners and project managers understand the value in workflow automation, and automated workflow management on the go.
Integrify is one such workflow automation software company that has built a product specifically designed for use by internal functions like IT, Finance, Marketing and HR to enable business-wide automation of the traditional business workflow. Organizations use Integrify to build a variety of customized, automated workflows that replace their manual processes and mean fewer emails, spreadsheets, status meetings, etc.
Because it's a platform, rather than a department-specific solution, the uses are nearly endless. For instance, HR teams can use it to automate all the activities around onboarding new employees while Finance might use it it to automate the capital expenditure request process.
Whenever teams can rely on external (internally integrated) software for managing mundane everyday tasks, there is going to be a vast increase in overall productivity as team members spend less time waiting and more time doing.
Honest communication
How do teams flourish? Effortless progress happens when all members of the team are utilizing effective communication as part of the growth plan. Open and honest communication reaches beyond increased revenue long-term.
Teams that communicate openly can enjoy being more connected to each other as individuals, have a more clear understanding of the direction that the project is heading into, and relish in the confidence that everyone understands their role in the project.
Growing technology landscape is enabling for teams to create internal communication and collaboration channels that further add to the process of balanced productivity. One such platform is Slack -- online communication system for teams that combine the dynamics of team communication into a single place. Sharing sensitive information, file uploads, history management and third-party tool integrations make Slack a solid choice for all-in-one team communication concerns for both remote, and internal teams.
Whenever individuals are asked to share their ideas, inputs and understandings of their individual role in the project, it creates an atmosphere of open communication where everyone can feel free to share their opinions, whilst feeling like their opinion is being valued.
Foster happiness
Research isn't shy to suggest that happiness does at least something to the overall productivity levels of individuals and those who work in teams. A happy worker is a more productive worker, so what are the ways that managers and business owners can foster more happy feelings and emotions within the work environment?
- Happiness programs -- mindfulness programs for corporate businesses, and indeed small businesses, are becoming increasingly popular as business owners begin to understand the benefits of a mindful work environment. Sometimes the inner-performance is just as important as outer.
- Employee recognition -- making employees feel valued can be a huge booster to their individual confidence, and of course happiness, which will naturally help them to feel more confident with their work within the company; productivity increase is just a natural side effect.
- Team get-togethers -- to create truly meaningful, and long lasting, relationships between the individuals in the team, it can be beneficial to create yearly trips outside of the ordinary workflow that would inspire, promote happiness, and establish deeper connections. BufferApp is a great example of how team travel can promote business growth.
Promoting team productivity is a field of its own, but one that's worthy of understanding and experiment with, as in the end it all comes down to the people that you work with, to determine the direction that your business is going to take.