Helping employees to
become more productive means they are getting more done in less time and with
less stress, burn out, and turnover. It also means recruiting and retention
costs go down, enhancing the bottom line. (And, it’s not a bad way to run a business!)
Over the years, I found these five suggestions as valuable principles to help
employees to increase their daily productivity.
Train For Success. No one can do it better and more
productively, unless they know how to do it. Many employers fail to not only
train employees initially, but as an on-going process. They are fearful of
taking people offline and losing their immediate output. The result is,
however, that people are so busy doing it the wrong way because they cannot
take out some time to learn how to do it the right way. The training process
ought to help employees handle their current responsibilities more effectively
and to prepare them for what they need to know a year from now, and five years
from now, as the information explosion changes the way we all do business.
Provide The Right Tools. These tools include not only the physical
resources and proper staffing but also the personal tools of self-development.
Many employers will send a painter out in the field with a ladder that’s three
feet short. Employees are the Rolls Royce’s of the company. If you fail to
spend a little to give the Rolls the proper fuel and maintenance, that $200,000
machine will not operate properly.
Keep Employees In The Loop. Let employees know what the “big picture”
is, where the company is going, and how they fit into the scheme of things.
There is nothing less productive than an employee who doesn’t understand how
they fit into that “big picture,” how their every act and contribution is vital
to the success of the entire organization.
Recognize And Reward. Most employees want recognition above
money. Sure, the money is important but so is the pat on the back. Catch people
doing it right. Behavior rewarded persists. Praise publicly. Send complimentary
notes. (It’s an event in most people’s lives. When was the last time your
received one?) This is not about spending money, it’s about giving what employees
want and need the most. Apples shine when you polish them.
Empower. “What they write, they will underwrite.”
Push decision making to the lowest levels. Help employees to feel a part of the
decision making process. Give them some authority to make decisions that will
make their job more productive. Will they make “bad” decisions? Sure. But over
time, the “good” decisions will far outweigh the “bad.”
