Want the very best out of your team and wonder why you’re not getting it? Some people have personal productivity problems, but if the issue seems widespread, you need to take a closer look at the workplace. Here, we’re going to look at some commonly shared timewasters, beyond individual distraction or laziness, that could be the big source of your problem.

 

Communication conundrums

All too often, business owners will find poorly implemented collaboration doesn’t save time, it wastes it. Two individuals or teams could be coming from different contexts. They don’t have the same outlook, the same objectives, or the same facts. You can help them connect the dots. For instance, it’s a good idea to have team leaders communicate on a regular basis about what they’re currently working on. Project management software can help the whole staff see what they’re working towards and who is working towards those goals in their own fields.

Tech troubles

Faulty hardware and inefficient software can dramatically slow down the workload. What’s more, offices that aren’t interconnected make it much more inefficient to try and share digital resources. Using an IT firm like http://www.xirtix.com/ can help you connect the office and ensure that you’re getting the best out of your tech. More efficient practices, better-implemented software, and reduced downtime all increase your team’s productivity. What’s more, it takes the effort and time of troubleshooting their systems off their hands. They can get on with their work while the experts take care of it.

 

Meeting madness

As mentioned, increasing communication isn’t always the wisest option. You need to increase meaningful, engaged communication instead. One of the biggest culprits of lost time and lost motivation is the catch-up meeting. You can streamline your meetings by making the subject matter clear in advance or asking people to highlight questions they want brought up in the meeting. What’s more, consider who is attending and whether the subject matter is relevant to everyone there. If someone has no stake in what’s being discussed, excuse them rather than holding them hostage. The loss in motivation experienced during a meeting that’s irrelevant to you lasts well beyond the end of the pow-wow.

Time tribulations

Simply put, we can all help our employees make better use of their time by helping them organize it. Productivity and scheduling software like https://timelyapp.com/ helps you not only track their time. You can teach them how to use it to lay out the day ahead, and to create different time blocks for different tasks. Setting out the day ahead ensures that you’re able to make progress in all the different things you want to without getting caught in the mire of repetitive, dull work for hours on end.

If their time isn’t being wasted, then there might be a deeper problem with workplace culture. If your team isn’t feeling engaged, isn’t motivated, or doesn’t fully appreciate or understand the overall goal that their work is contributing towards, it’s easy for them to be unproductive. It’s your role to find the source of the unproductivity and to eliminate it.