In the day-to-day bustle of business, it can be easy to lose sight of what’s keeping your company successful - but at the heart of any prosperous business is a strong, knowledgeable team committed to delivering exceptional performance every time. In a previous post, we discussed the effects of fitness on productivity - but what’s your role in all of this? As the manager of a business, you’re at the helm of your team and ultimately responsible for the company’s success - and this starts with the performance and wellbeing of your staff. It’s essential that every business owner takes responsibility for the standard of work their staff are putting out and addresses any issues preventing them from performing at their best. While it’s important to acknowledge that everyone will have an ‘off day’, it becomes your responsibility to step in when this begins to affect productivity in an ongoing sense. In today’s post, we’re going back to basics and helping you put the focus back on your staff by breaking down some handy pointers for boosting workplace productivity. 
This is the number one rule when it comes to encouraging productivity in your staff: practise what you preach. If you’re not setting a good example, how can you expect your employees to follow your lead? If you arrive late for work, turn out sloppy reports or present in an unprofessional manner, you’re effectively telling your staff that it’s acceptable for them to behave in the same way. Leading by example is a great way to increase productivity and encourage mutual respect in the process. What are you doing personally to support your staff on a day-to-day basis? If you want your employees to come to you with any issues they may have, you need to make sure you’re an approachable person. Your staff need to be able to discuss any problems they have without feeling embarrassed or intimidated by you, and that starts with fostering a culture of openness in the office. Encouraging your staff to admit they need help at the earliest opportunity means you can address the issue together and minimise the long-term effect this will have on their productivity. 
Employee training is an area often overlooked by both small and larger businesses. In a busy work environment, it’s easy to become complacent rather than thinking of innovative ways to continue having a positive impact on performance across the board. As the owner of a company, you can assign yourself some time to sit back and think about areas in which your staff may require more training and assistance - this will help to improve their performance and encourage development. Whether it’s the team as a whole or other members of management, you should be constantly striving to help your staff develop and progress in their careers - which will, in turn, have a positive effect on the company. While in-house training can provide a great opportunity for growth, there are other ways to boost workplace productivity. You can start by helping your staff to understand the importance of taking care of their health as well as how this influences their professional performance. From encouraging a suitable amount of sleep to ensuring your staff stay hydrated throughout the working day, there are several factors which can contribute to their workplace performance. One way to make sure your staff have plenty of access to fluids throughout the day is to install a water cooler in your office. This will give your employees an unlimited supply of H2O - which is proven to increase brain activity and keep us alert throughout the day.
121s are often overlooked in busy office environments - but regular check-ins with your staff offer a great opportunity to touch base with your employees, provide them with feedback and offer support and guidance where it may be required. Checking in with your staff at regular intervals gives them the opportunity to discuss any issues as and when they arise, rather than months down the line when the problem has passed and wasn’t properly dealt with. By effectively addressing the issue at the time it occurs, you and your employee can put a plan in place to avoid this happening in future - saving everyone time on the long run. In our post on the ‘Employee of the Month’ reward scheme, we discussed how employee recognition is generally preferred over superficial rewards. Support, praise and encouragement are proven to be more effective when it comes to motivating your staff - and regular 121s give you a chance to make sure your employees are getting the praise they deserve. By actioning these handy hints in your workplace, you’re guaranteed to improve employer-employee relations and see an increase in productivity - making it a win-win situation for everyone involved. If you’re looking for new ways to maximise workplace productivity, you can keep your staff motivated by helping them stay hydrated. By investing in one of Eden Springs’ eco-friendly coffee machines or water coolers for your office, you can guarantee your staff stay healthy, happy and hydrated all day long.
