Your team is struggling with productivity. What can you do to help them stay focused?

Setting expectations while keeping space for derailment and planning measures to deal with them is pertinent to reaching optimal productivity. A good visionary will anticipate the deviations and put systems in place to combat any deviations.

Vor einigen Jahren hat Google mit dem "Projekt Aristoteles" tiefgehende Einblicke in die Dynamik produktiver Teams gewonnen. Die Erkenntnisse dieser Studie sind zeitlos. 1. Psychologische Sicherheit: Erm?glicht den Einzelnen, ihre Meinungen und Ideen ohne Angst vor negativen Konsequenzen einzubringen. 2. Verl?sslichkeit: Jedes Teammitglied kennt die Standards und liefert seine Arbeit zuverl?ssig ab. 3. Bedeutung der eigenen Arbeit für das Team und das Unternehmen ist klar. 4. Sinn in der Arbeit sehen, sei es durch die Erfüllung der Teamziele, den Beitrag zum Teamerfolg oder pers?nliche Ziele. 5. Klarheit und Struktur: Jeder sollte klar verstehen, was von ihm oder ihr erwartet wird.

There are three major things which require focus 1) Set clear goals 2) Sit with them and understand whats the reason that the team is not able to perform , it it something personal or something else 3) Ensure if they are have a clear understanding about the business

By setting clear expectations it's important to remember the "why". All teams and team-members will at some point struggle with expectations. By talking about the why we can break down the larger goal and explain why we are doing a certain task or developing a certain feature. By understanding the why team-members will create an inner alignment and have greater sense of why this is important.

There is a saying, begin with the end in mind. What is the big picture the team wants to accomplish and then how do we break that down into quarterly and monthly priorities with deadlines. Try not to sip water out of a firehouse. Some teams use Microsoft Planner or other like technologies once the plan has been laid out, who is responsible and then hold the team accountable for deliverables. Things do happen that derail plans, things come up- so one thing I recommend is to label tasks as A, B, and C priorities and focus on the A & Bs— help team members also see what they can delegate so they focus on the higher order priorities without getting burned out. Explore great time savers— try AI— try FIVERR— work hard and smart

Ensuring that team members are given the right tools, resources and training is extremely important. The training starts with onboarding and this is where many employers fail. In research carried out by Forbes, it has been found that almost half (44%) of today's early career professionals haven't had the benefit of the company orientation sessions, team building and professional networking that are critical for them to 'learn the ropes' and build their professional networks. I didn't find this surprising, given that I had already seen onboarding ranging from extremely poor to very good when visiting organisations.

Make sure your team have all the necessary tools and resources to meet the goal. This may include: -more team meetings and one on one check ins. This will help you understand any obstacles and work on solutions. -being present and jumping in to help fill any gaps present by lack of workforce. -providing on the job training opportunities to teach new skills and give team members the opportunity to try something new. -feedback from your staff. Let them identify problems and offer solutions that they can commit to. This will also promote engagement and commitment.

Put people first. Make sure they have a solid foundation of engagement, alignment and best-practice adoption before more intensive learning is demanded of them. WorldLine's foundation course 'Positive Productivity' begins with self-assessment and takes participants through the self-management process painlessly and enjoyably whereon positive change becoming visible to all. This breaks the common resistance cycle of "nothing changes around here" and "the management team don't listen" which builds negative expectations and blocks progress.

Sometimes teams need a bit of help working on themselves. Participants in out training programs say how great it was to understand and develop as a person and team member within the organisation. Training doesn't always have to be how to use a piece of software, equipment or on a new process.

It's a variable matter dependent on the people who occupy your team. Some folks shine in the spotlight and need that validation to push themselves. Others, require solitude and the avoidance of prying eyes to get things done. It's not always about the tool, platforms, and setting expectations. It can also be about getting out of your team's way to allow them to do what they know to be the right decision. If we trust them, we need to let them do what they do best. Ask questions later.

Giving someone an important responsibility that they want and are passionate about is Productivity 101. Think the opposite of micromanagement, which only makes your team less productive and resentful. This combined with flexibility is one key that not only increases productivity but morale as well.

Allowing team members to work their own hours can also be detrimental due to the loss of implicit learning (unstructured learning normally picked up in the workplace). In a survey by HR Review, it was found that 48% of Gen Z and Millennials were having problems with communicating with colleagues and believe that this is having a detrimental effect on their career development. This is one way in which employers could lose valuable talent?

I've noticed that flexibility in managing/monitoring productivity can be a complete game-changer. When new platforms are introduced to simply feel like a team is being on the cutting edge of tech-savviness, it can backfire. Effective teams aren't eager to learn a new system to monitor their effectiveness. Likewise, sometimes the training that goes into project management tools can be more laborious than the projects they were tasked to do. Instead, let their work speak for itself and as long as it's completed and it's high-quality, then measuring productivity on a platform should take a backseat.

Get the employee base involved in the process at the start. Some preferences are not feasible to implement, so results will be maximised by ensuring buy-in from all teams. WorldLine's foundation programme builds innovation into the process, with participants electing priority actions they themselves can take, typically chosen to address Communication, Morale and Recognition issues. Empowerment needs to rest in capable, confident hands and this is what we set out to achieve, laying the bedrock for employees to accept responsibility without fear or resistance. Once trust and engagement are well placed, people actively seek opportunities to involve themselves in the company's positive progress.

When people know the outcomes they are expected to create by when, then leave them to get there. Be clear about what you as a leader need to be involved with and what you do not and then stand back and let innovation happen. People are naturally creative problem solvers. This gives the leader an opportunity to step into a coaching role.

Personnel are typically intelligent and can elect suitable portals for information flow. Help teams to identify what works for them and then establish communication systems that meet the unique demands of your workplace. One size does not fit all, and this has to be taken into account when developing sustainable portals and provisions.

Recognition is so important. Learn what meaningful recognition means to each person of your team. Do they like it publicly or privately? When you find out what makes meaning to your team then they will feel appreciated.

Just before the COVID Pandemic I was talking to a CEO from a software company. Having made the decision to separate two of his teams (into different work areas) in order to improve productivity, he found that the communication between teams ceased along with collaboration. This had a detrimental effect on innovation and creativity. He felt that the loss in collaboration was costing the company more than had been gained by separating the teams and had reversed his previous decision and moved them back into a single work area. Setting up 2 silos was obviously not an 'okay' trade off between productivity and the need for innovation - much of which was required in 'real time'. Different organisations - different needs.

By hiring a holistic counselor/coach to stay connected with remote workers, you help keep mental/emotional distractions at bay. People are more productive when they have emotional support and they feel heard about things not connected to work related things. It’s hard being human sometimes.

In what ways can we set every employee up for success and what does that mean to you and them? When you find ways to remove the barriers and shield them from external noise, some people will surprise you with how much they can do. They may also surprise you with how loyal they are to the cause they've engaged with.

Recognising the good work that’s been achieved is essential to enhance productivity. There’s nothing much worse than working extra hours to complete a task only for it to go unnoticed. And worse to completely ignore it. If someone on the team goes out of their way in their achievement, it really should be acknowledged - this will greatly enhance and encourage further work. Failure to praise or offer and highlight what’s been done will certainly de motivate and disempower leading to less productivity.

Support your team through celebrating their achievements. This can help build trust and respect among team members and create a positive and productive work environment.

Recognition and reward is a common priority identified by WorldLine participants, who will provide accounts of what they feel is missing so that gaps can appropriately be filled while they themselves are working towards best-practice protocols and productivity excellence. Transparency ensures buy-in from even those who are resistant to change, giving a clear and consistent platform on which to build a sustainable, affordable strategy.

Not every achievement or project requires notoriety, but consistency is always something that should be recognized. Some of us work better in a private space free of additional input. That said, almost everyone enjoys the fruits of their labor in one way or another. Be sure you recognize uniquely the consistent efforts of each employee and put yourself in a position to understand their external and internal motivators. Money, success, notoriety, freedom. Everyone wants something different, and when we know what that means for our teams and we acknowledge that for them, it'll build a more loyal internal team than you ever thought possible.

Recognising the good work that’s been achieved is essential to enhance productivity. There’s nothing much worse than working extra hours to complete a task only for it to go unnoticed. And worse to completely ignore it. If someone on the team goes out of their way in their achievement, it really should be acknowledged - this will greatly enhance and encourage further work. Failure to praise or offer and highlight what’s been done will certainly de motivate and disempower leading to less productivity.

Your employees are your most important asset. They want to do a good job and make a difference. When I took over a struggling organization, I found that the employees did not feel heard, seen, or valued, and it showed in their productivity. Encouraging your employees as people starts with acknowledging and thanking them. Then listen to their ideas for improvement, implement them if you can, and acknowledge where the idea came from. Assess your technology; it is being used as a tool to assist your employees do better work, or is it used as a measurement of them? The people of your organization want to have purpose, impact, and value. They want to know and understand how their work matters and that you, as a leader, care about them.

Gemeinsame Ziele sind meist die L?sung um einen gemeinsamen Fokus zu setzen. Haben wir kein klares Ziel vor Augen haben wir auch keinen Antrieb. Ein Ziel ist auch entscheidend, damit alle aus dem Team in die gleiche Richtung marschieren. Dabei gibt es auch unterschiedliche Methoden um Ziele fokussiert als Team zu erreichen. Ich pers?nlich kann hier ganz klar die OKR Methode empfehlen.

The pressure to be productive is real, and people often know they are not as productive as they'd like to be, even before you notice it. As a leader, it's okay to normalize and humanize the lower productivity by reminding people that there will be super productive times and times of lower productivity. Let them know that you've been there too, thereby showing empathy. Then ask them what kinds of conditions help them to be more productive (these can be physical, psychological, and relational) and do what you can to support those conditions. Show appreciation, relate to them, and help solve this problem that they are likely feeling more than you are.

Many staff members are competitive. By creating an attractive Scoreboard, your team can see where they are compared to their peers. The 4 disciplines of Execution provide some valuable insight in helping staff remain focused on the wildly important goals and not getting distracted by the whirlwind of extra tasks.

Every team struggle on some point or other. As a leader we should encourage openness, clarify the doubts, hear them out, have a round table, face to face or on lunch/dinner meeting are more useful. Team is always there for their leader and the leader need to reciprocate the same to make the difference.