Is Your Team as Productive As It Could Be? - Five Signs You Can Get More Out of Your People

The mark of a great leader is the ability to keep the employees productive and happy. Are you paying enough attention to what’s going on in your company?

If everything runs smoothly in your business, chances are your team operates at peak efficiency. But every now and then, you may spot some inconsistencies. You may even see stress settling in or people struggling to perform.

There are various reasons why this happens. 

However, when a team is not as productive as before, it doesn’t mean that you have to start firing people. Employees that once had no problems doing the work can return to that level of performance with the right motivation.

If you see the following signs, it means some things need to change before you can get your team to perform at their best.

No Advancement Opportunities

One possible reason employees stop giving their 100% is that they can’t see a clear path to advance their careers. This happens in many companies and across all industries.

But is that a reason to fire someone and bring in someone new? No.

If you want to hold onto valuable employees, try offering additional rewards. They may not get a new position, but you could increase the bonuses. You could also add other responsibilities to justify increasing the salary.

Recent Odd Behavior

Employees with a generally good attitude tend to perform well. But recent changes in behaviour may indicate personal or family issues, perhaps even workplace drama.

That’s not a sign to fire someone. Instead, it may be a sign that some employees need help and support. 

If they once did a good job, they have the ability to do it again. It’s just a matter of identifying the issues and helping them overcome those matters.

Demotivation

How do you spot demotivation among team members? 

Lack of motivation can make employees do some of the following things:

• Skip work

• Isolate themselves from colleagues

• Take only minimal responsibility tasks 

• Refrain from having something to say in meetings

Demotivation is a sign that you can get more out of your team if you take action. Try getting to know your people better and find out what they enjoyed about the work in the past.

Employees Are Too Tired

Teams sometimes don’t operate at peak efficiency because the members are tired, not because of a lack of skills or interest.

Perhaps recent company policy or schedule changes coincided with a drop in performance. 

To fix this, try to arrange a few team meetings and brainstorm how to implement a more flexible work schedule. Talk to your people about possible new working arrangements. It’s crucial for you to figure out a way for everyone to work at their best hours of the day. 

People Don’t Perform Consistently

If you notice spikes in productivity, you may have a problem with your business. You may see that some employees have stretches of great performance and average or worse the rest of the time.

Inconsistency in the workplace often has something to do with a lack of recognition. 

People don’t always need rewards to keep up the excellent work. Sometimes a nod, company memo, or public acknowledgement can go a long way towards motivating people to give you 100% all the time.

Don’t Forget About Exchanging Ideas

Maybe your company is in the green but not growing. It could be a sign that there’s more to your team that meets the eye. 

You want employees who do their jobs well and even contribute to discussions. So, trust your team and listen to their pitches and ideas. Perhaps the decisions at the leadership levels are what limit your team’s performance.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

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