4 Ways To Keep Your Team Productive Throughout The Day - CareerAlley

4 Ways To Keep Your Team Productive Throughout The Day - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Keeping your entire team productive is one of the biggest challenges youll 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, it also requires setting up a workspace that is conducive to productivity. Here are 4 ways to keep your team productive throughout the day: 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, youll have everyone on the same page even before you get started. 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. 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. 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. Minimize Workplace Interruptions The regular office worker is interrupted every 3 minutes on average (Washington Post). In addition, it can take up to 23 minutes and 15 seconds to regain concentration. All this corresponds to about 6.2 hours everyday or 31 hours a week in productive time lost. Taking into account the average 47-hour US work week, thats 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. 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, it also sends a good message to the rest of your team. If youre having difficulty finding a conducive work environment, you may want to consider an office space for rent or a coworking space. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+