Leaders are responsible for managing a team so that they can stay efficient, productive, and cohesive, even in the face of unprecedented challenges. Team leaders can use modern time management techniques to reduce procrastination, eliminate stress, and encourage productivity. Even though the dynamics of each organization are different, certain core principles remain the same when it comes to improving team productivity. If you are in a leadership position in your company and looking for definitive ways to improve team productivity, here are the few techniques that can be useful –
Pomodoro Technique
Developed by Francesco Cirillo, it is a highly efficient time management technique used by many leaders personally as well as encouraged as a part of the work culture in an organization. In this technique, the day is divided into short intervals of 5 to 7 minutes before getting back to work. It entails working for around half an hour and taking a short break. After four short breaks, a longer break of half an hour is allowed to reenergize and refocus. It helps in completing tasks quickly and ensuring there is no scope of procrastination to seep in.
Encourage Physical Activity
As strange as it may sound, research at Stanford University has found that by encouraging employees to engage in the form of low-intense workout or a walk around the block can help eliminate stress. It also allows employees to refocus on the problems they are facing and think outside the box. It induces a culture of innovation and productivity in an organization and helps the employees to connect to their physical selves. It not only boosts health and stamina but also improves logical thinking capacity as any form of physical activity defrags the thought process.
Open Communication
The workforce productivity reaches a new high when the communication lines within the organization are fluid and open. The leaders need to ensure that the organization’s employees are able to communicate freely and transparently with not only the colleagues but also their peers, seniors, and top management. While it may seem impossible for the employees to be involved in every level of business mechanism, it is essential that employees can step forward and provide their feedback and communicate regularly without hiccups. In other words, leaders should ensure that employees feel and know they are heard, always.
Regularly Arrange Team Activities
One of the ways that many organizations implement to improve and encourage the development of trust, interpersonal relationships and better bonding is team retreats, outings, and team activities. In such team building activities and outings, the employees and top management members can open up, build better relationships, and develop a stronger bond. It helps eliminate any differences or negativity that may exist earlier. Stronger bonding and better trust in an organization always lead to more efficiency, coherent work culture, and enhance productivity.
These are the few techniques that leaders usually adopt to improve team productivity. It is important for the leaders to focus not only on the growth of an organization but also on the human side of the employees and create an environment that helps the personal growth of employees. When the organizational and personal goals align through visionary leadership, productivity increases by itself.