Published on June 14th, 2017 | by Guest

Improve Your Team’s Productivity With These 3 Office Hacks

Disengaged employees are costing the US economy a massive $3 billion each year. The culprit? Too much work and lack of motivation; the former causing the latter.

Americans are no strangers to overstress and overwork. According to a survey by the Families and Work Institute, 26% of Americans felt they were working too hard and over 70% dream of having a different job. The data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is alarming: American workers work an average of 1,804 hours per year, which is 135 hours and 370 hours more than the average French worker and average German worker, respectively–the most out of all advanced economies.

As a manager, your primary responsibility, other the tasks assigned to you, is to look ensure the productivity and well-being of your team. Currently, thousands of businesses around America are riddled with bad leadership and poor management practices, both of which lead to low employee productivity and high rates of stress and absenteeism. Needless to say, the people on the top (and middle) need to step up. And the solution is glaringly simple: develop systems that reduce workload and increase productivity. It all starts with good management and efficient use of technology.

Looking for ways to improve your leadership and management style? Here are 3 awesome technology hacks to improve your team’s productivity:

Invest In Office Automation

More important than working hard is working smart. Rather than force your team to log more hours and take on more tasks, invest in technology that allows them to perform their work faster and more efficiently.

Equip your team with software such as virtual assistants and shared calendars that can handle clerical tasks such as file organizing, email automation, data processing, scheduling, and the like. Doing this helps shift their attention from repetitive work to more relevant, higher-level tasks, which, in the end, create greater value and better returns.

Lead By Example

Lipservice can only get you so far. Business leaders like Peter Loftin, Warren Buffett, Sam Walton, and Jack Ma are who they are not because they talk, but because they do. The best leaders lead with actions, not words. If you want to get the most out of your employees, lead the charge.

Take the role of mentor and be a hands-on leader. Teach your team to use new software and technology so they add more value to their work.

Want everyone to follow the leader? Set the tone with your own drive and work ethic.

Build Meaningful Relationships

Thought leaders the world over preach choosing a mentor over a job…and for good reason! Meaningful work begins with meaningful relationships.

Excellent bosses can improve employee health and boost team productivity by up to 12%. Moreover, companies that cultivate good boss-employee relationships enjoy higher rates of job satisfaction and lower rates of employee turnover–no surprise there!

Be a better boss by building meaningful relationships. Get to know your team; mentor them; understand the strengths and weaknesses of each member.

Need inspiration? Visit PeterLoftin.com to read up on the telecom magnate out of North Carolina.

As a leader or manager, your chief responsibility is to get the most out of your team. By equipping them with the right technology and providing enough motivation, you can help others around you be the best they can possibly be.

Tags: business, hacks, improve, office, productivity, team