It can be tough to boost employee morale as a business owner, especially during hectic periods when it seems like everyone is one second aware of a meltdown. A hectic work environment can impact overall productivity. The stakes are high, and nerves are even higher. The result often means that your team may struggle to stay motivated and experience productivity drops that could affect the project’s success and the company’s reputation. So what can you do to improve productivity in a hectic work environment?
Ditch the Meetings
Meetings have long been considered an essential part of the workday. How will anyone know what’s going on without a meeting? However, while they may offer some benefits, many employees often come out of meetings wondering why it couldn’t have simply been an email. Furthermore, meetings can drain productivity, especially during busy periods when everyone has more important things on their plate. With this in mind, it’s worth ditching the meetings entirely or at least only saving them for unique occasions to prevent too much disruption during the workday.
Keep Things Organized
Organization is vital for any business. Everyone should know what they are doing and when they need to do it. Businesses that lack organization will never achieve their goals, and it could derail high-value projects, which would upset clients and even drive them away.
Use workflow platforms, such as Trello, to keep track of everything. It’s also worth confirming expectations with your team so they know what to do when the project begins. Besides this, simply keeping the office tidy can make a huge difference. You can also collect all important documents and place them in a single folder to make them easy to access whether your employees are at the office or working remotely.
Track Your Employee Hours
One major cause of productivity drops is overworking, but this is common during hectic periods. Your employees are striving to finish the project on time, meaning they may work extra hours. However, too much work can affect their sleep and focus. There is also the risk of burnout which can be dangerous, especially in construction environments.
To avoid this issue, utilize a construction time sheet to help you track hours worked and monitor who has covered a specific number of hours. While you must finish the project, you also want it done properly. Encourage employees who have completed a number of days in a row (plus overtime) to take a day off to avoid overworking and burnout.
Enhance Workplace Safety
You should also strive to improve workplace safety, as this gives your team one less thing to worry about while at the office. Workplace safety comes in many forms, depending on the environment. Office floors littered with folders and errand cables could cause trip hazards. Construction sites might have materials lying around, or too much noise that makes it difficult to hear hazards.
It’s always worth doing a risk assessment before and during a project. Toyu should strive to improve the safety conditions to avoid injuries or accidents that could result in severe delays.
Help Your Team Manage Stress
Hectic workplaces are a breeding ground for stress. Therefore, it’s worth doing everything possible to reduce team stress and relieve the pressure. Even important projects are not life-and-death situations, so reassure your team that you can always help them find solutions if they are struggling. There are plenty of ways to help your team de-stress, such as offering them access to tax-free benefits through an FSA provider. This can help them cover the cost of healthy snacks, gym memberships, and other activities that can help them relax.
Relieving stress also increases engagement, which means your employees will be more interested in their work. This factor can have a significant impact on their efficiency and creativity and even help them find solutions for tricky problems they’ve encountered so far.
Outline Project Stages
The longer a project goes on, the more your team (and you) can forget where you are going. This is where project stages come in useful. You can use project stages to cultivate a positive mindset as it breaks down an overwhelming process into small, more manageable chunks.
Outlining the stages is a common and effective tactic in a positive work environment, especially when it feels like the project will take forever. If you see your team flagging, update them on their progress and showcase how much they have completed already to give them the boost they need to continue working.
Stop Taking On New Tasks
The last thing your team needs during a hectic period is taking on new tasks. While it might seem like a fantastic chance to earn more money, it also puts unnecessary pressure on your team. Furthermore, new tasks could distract them and draw focus away from the more important project. If your manager asks you to jump into another project, politely decline and remind them of the scope of the work you’re currently doing.
Automate Tedious Demands
You can also free up much of your day by eliminating tedious tasks that, while not too time-consuming, can still waste precious time that could be spent doing other things. These tasks can include appointment booking or posting to social media. They are still important and you must do them, but you don’t need to remember to do them by scheduling them or using automation software to complete them even if you’re away. By automating your tasks, you and your team can focus on more important demands and responsibilities.
Let Employees Blow Off Steam
You cannot expect your team to work like machines for the entirety of the project. Do not force them to work ridiculous hours and do not chastise them just because they are taking a much-needed and deserved break.
Instead, let them blow off steam, whether through team-building activities or celebrating the completion of each stage of the project. Even the most demanding projects won’t require around-the-clock attention, so take an afternoon to celebrate a job well done so far and recenter everyone’s focus. Drinks, games, and a relaxed atmosphere can keep people productive and motivated.
Hectic
Every workplace can become hectic depending on the time of year and the size of the project ahead. It’s important to remain calm during these times and identify the best approach to keep things running smoothly. This advice should help all business owners, managers, and supervisors boost productivity and maintain a positive work environment.