Fixing the problem of too many tools
Hey folks,
It's not every day that one of your employees comes to knock at your cabin door and complain about a fault.
He was frustrated and said, "How am I supposed to be productive when updating my work on two platforms and using another to collaborate and the email to convey deadlines?"
Well, I was expecting a reminder to approve a payment, but here it was - a real problem from a frustrated team member. This was real; I asked others, too. The research also told a similar story.
40% of desk workers utilize more than 11 applications, while 5% of workers use 26 or more applications in their work tasks.?(Gartner, 2023) ?
66% of people agreed we could achieve better results by working on widely accepted and supported applications and devices for completing tasks. (Gartner, 2023)
And there are even more tools-related concerns that stop your team from achieving their goals on time. Not every problem is so obvious, though
I discussed with our HR people how we could fix it. Thankfully, we have a small team, we analyzed and resolved this issue.
Not getting into the details, but we started using a single platform for goal-setting, performance management, and tasks.
Your organization may not be as simple as ours, but start small and gradually make it big.
Here are some suggestions that could help you focus on your business goals and not get overwhelmed with many tools.
For small teams
Well, this is us. We are a small team, and we ensure that we follow the below advice to maintain our focus on the key business goals
1. Boost accountability and visibility of work Enable people to have clear goals and manage their execution on a centralized platform. This builds a strong collaborative culture.
2. Focus on outcomes, not tools (use OKRs) Make your business goals a top priority using objectives and key results. Consider tools as your collaboration medium to achieve them.
3. Centralize your tools Can you find a single tool with a broader range of features, reducing the need for multiple subscriptions?
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4. Prefer user-friendly interfaces Use platforms that are easy to learn and navigate. Provide appropriate training to utilize the tools effectively and avoid frustration.
5. Conduct a regular tools audit Set aside time quarterly to review your toolset. Be open to trying new solutions that align better with your team's needs.
6. Listen to your people, leaders Be a role model by using the same tools. Moreover, conduct regular surveys to assess their satisfaction with existing tools and gather suggestions.
For Large Teams
The above suggestions can be helpful for larger teams, too. Additionally, you can take these steps.
1. Conduct honest needs assessments Before approving new tools, conduct thorough needs assessments to identify existing gaps. Also, ensure the new tool doesn't duplicate existing capabilities
We often hear that reviews could be more fair and helpful. But how do we make the transition?
Tune in to this discussion between two seasoned HR leaders who go into the nuances of implementing continuous performance management.
In conversation with the Community Building Head at Zoho (Podcast)
This time, we sat with Vidya Vasudevan, who heads the Zoho Community and manages its User Community initiative.
She has been with Zoho for more than 22 years. Listening to her unique and diverse work experience and seeing the organization grow worldwide was interesting.
Did you know? We help teams set impactful goals to establish better team coordination on core business initiatives.
If you want to create goals that help your teams align and focus on business growth, talk to our OKR and Strategy Execution Experts. ?