Career Advice

4 Ways To Keep Your Team Productive Throughout The Day

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Keeping your entire team productive is one of the biggest challenges you’ll have, particularly in the age of streaming music on Spotify and stories on Snapchat. Not only does it require bringing together people with different work habits and personalities, but it also requires setting up a workspace that is conducive to productivity.

Here are 4 ways to keep your team productive throughout the day:

1. Keep Meetings To A Minimum

Unnecessary meetings cost the US an estimated $37 billion every year. Furthermore, even if 47% of employees say excessive meetings diminish their productivity, 37% of total employee hours are spent attending meetings. Talk about counterproductive.

Meetings should never be treated as social gatherings. Make each one count by setting a clear agenda and avoiding irrelevant detours. To be even more productive, brief everyone on the details at least a day before the designated meeting time. That way, you’ll have everyone on the same page even before you get started.

Keeping your entire team productive is one of the biggest challenges you’ll have, particularly in the age of streaming music on Spotify and stories on Snapchat. It requires setting up a workspace that is conducive to productivity.Click To Tweet

Also, keep attendance to a minimum and bar late people from attending. Inviting too many people and accommodating late people to meetings are two major productivity killers. If someone wants a recap of what went on, let him/her do so AFTER the meeting.

2. Lay Out Timelines And Agendas

Only 17% of people can accurately keep track of time without external cues. Create a to-do list and assign a fixed time for each task. Software like Rescue Time allows you to track time, block distracting websites, receive alerts, and give you feedback on how you spend your time.

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04/25/2024 06:26 am GMT

Alternate concentrated work periods with strategic rest periods in order to get the most of your time. Research shows that well-thought-out mental breaks help you refocus and regain energy. If you want to kick it up a notch, designate exercise breaks to get your blood pumping and improve cognitive activity.

Get your whole team on board by setting up a virtual office that holds team members accountable for their time.

3. Minimize Workplace Interruptions

The regular office worker is interrupted every 3 minutes on average. In addition, it can take up to 23 minutes and 15 seconds to regain concentration. All this corresponds to about 6.2 hours every day or 31 hours a week in productive time lost. Taking into account the average 47-hour US work week, that’s roughly 65% of total employee hours wasted.

Lay down office rules on workplace interruptions. Edward G. Brown, an efficiency and workflow consultant to Fortune 500 companies like Citibank, Merrill Lynch, and Bank of America, says designating quiet time for concentration raises employee productivity by 40% to 60%. All inter-office discussions should transpire outside of that time period.

Need a simpler solution? Give everyone a Do Not Disturb sign.

4. Improve Your Office Environment

Keeping a clean desk has been proven to drive productivity and creative thinking. Furthermore, surrounding your workplace with aesthetically pleasing objects can raise your productivity by an additional 15%.

Declutter your workplace and decorate it with stimulating elements like artwork, plants, and candles that help put your brain at ease. Not only does this increase productivity and performance, but it also sends a good message to the rest of your team.

Yes, it may seem a little weird, but banging out a quick full-body workout at your office (or your home gym if you work at home) can leave you feeling refreshed, energized, and will result in more calories burned over time.

If you’re having difficulty finding a conducive work environment, you may want to consider office space for rent or a coworking space.

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