How to Improve Productivity in a Small Team

This is definitely the most important one on the list because it’s the foundation for your success. Working with your team to make a list of definitive, clear and achievable targets gives you something to work towards. You can do this through time management software, on a whiteboard, on paper or in any format that suits everyone. Ticking things off a list provides clear milestones and boosts employee motivation, which can significantly improve productivity.

There are a couple of things to remember, though. Firstly, you need to do this on a regular basis. The more frequently, the better. Optimally, you should set daily, weekly and monthly goals to keep everyone on track. Secondly, don’t forget to prioritize. Clearly state what you believe is the most important and work towards resolving that first. This kind of organization is bound to reflect positively on the team performance.

We live in a digital age, so why not let technology help with optimizing your workload? This is an especially important consideration if you have a remote team. Therefore, using computer monitoring software for your small team will help you keep track of how much time you spend on each task or project and what each team member is working on. With remote employee monitoring, you get clean reporting which you can analyze and share.

Use the data from employee tracking software to help:

• optimize time management
• discover weaknesses and address them immediately
• delegate work more effectively in the future

With such platforms, you can track time and attendance as well. Also, make sure you align the things you track with the goals you’ve set with your team. Remember, you should use employee monitoring software to help you increase productivity, not spy on your workers!

We realize this one might seem counterintuitive, but studies have shown that breaks actually help with productivity. This especially goes for the lunch break, but regular shorter breaks in between are just as important. Set a time tracking app to keep track of your activities and breaks. As a result of these short breaks, workers feel refreshed and ready to get back to work with a clear head. As an added bonus, they’ll appreciate the method and their satisfaction will improve as well.

Another easy thing you can do is adapt your workplace for maximum productivity. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for what your desk should look like, there are a couple of great ideas to get you started. For example, let every team member choose how to decorate their desk. Encourage them to include family photos, flowers or any small objects with special meaning. This way of personalizing their workspace makes them feel relaxed and more willing to do their best. Be careful not to overdo it with cluttering, though.

There are a number of other things you can do, such as painting the room or quietly playing some music in the background. You’ll probably need to do a bit of experimenting to see what works for your team, so have fun with it!

Last but definitely not least, communication is key. For maximum efficiency and productivity, you need to get your team members’ opinion on all aspects of work from start to finish. This is a method you can use with data from a work tracker app. And even if the decision is ultimately yours, getting your coworkers’ perspective will help you do what’s best for the whole team.

Ask them what they think is your biggest weakness. How can you improve that? What about strengths? Ask them if they have any ideas on how to boost productivity. You’d be surprised how many great ideas you’ll end up with, many of which we haven’t mentioned in this article.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a good place to start. From setting goals to tracking progress to taking breaks, not everything will work for everyone. So, you need to go through some trial and error in order to discover what exactly works best for your small team. But when you do get to the perfect recipe, benefits will follow and you’ll have happy, focused and productive employees geared towards success.