Here are some of the reasons why you might be hindering your employees’ productivity.

#1: You are forever calling them into meetings

There is nothing wrong with calling a meeting, of course. You need to communicate information to your employees somehow, and a team meeting is a good way to encourage team building. However, don’t call a meeting for meeting’s sake just because it’s what you have always done. Many businesses run a meeting first thing in the morning, for example, or they schedule one on a certain day in the week. If there is a point to these meetings, then fine, but if there isn’t? Well, that is time wasted, and if you’re guilty of the same, your employees can’t be blamed if they don’t complete their to-do lists on time.

#2: You haven’t provided them with the relevant technologies

How can you expect your employees to work productively when the technology they are using is flawed in some way? Production output for those working on the manufacturing line will suffer if errors occur, and if computers are outdated, those employees working in the office will take longer to work if they are dealing with bugs, crashes, and slowdown.

#3: You don’t spend enough time showing your employees appreciation

(Pixabay Licence)

Okay, so you don’t have to spend time on a daily basis going to each and every employee with a word of praise. Your productivity would suffer, otherwise, as would theirs. However, the occasional thank you for the hard work your staff has put in wouldn’t go amiss, and there are other ways you can show your gratitude to the people you employ. You will boost their morale if you do, and this, in turn, will boost their productivity. So, think about how you can show employee appreciation, and take steps to show it before resentment and unproductivity starts to creep in from your undervalued staff.

#4: You don’t lead by example

Do you show a strong work ethic? If not, your employees might follow suit and work less than they should. As a leader, you need to lead by example, so if you want your employees to work hard, you need to do the same. You should also take steps to improve yourself, so if you can book yourself onto training courses, you might also encourage your employees to do the same. With new skills learned, both you and your employees will then be more productive at work.

#5: You work your employees to the bone

You need to remember that your employees are human and not mindless worker drones. If you don’t give them enough breaks during the day, and if you constantly ask them to work overtime, then you are going to cause burnout in your employees. The upshot of this? Reduced productivity at work because of extreme tiredness, and potential time off work because they have fallen ill with exhaustion. Therefore, schedule breaks for your employees during the day, as they will become more productive when they have had time to re-energize themselves. And because they have had the capacity to work harder, there should then be less need for them to do overtime.

So, are you responsible for hindering your employees’ productivity? Answer ‘yes’ if any of the above relates to you. Take the necessary steps to support the people you employ, and then enjoy the rewards that their greater productivity will bring to your business.