5 Ways to Improve Work Performance

As a manager, do you know what your employees are doing at all times? The answer is most likely, “No.” The manager sets up the daily workflow and expects employees to complete their work to the company’s satisfaction.

However, employees are not always focused on work which means there’s lost productivity for the company. Your employees aren’t wasting time on Facebook or planning their next vacation; they are challenged by their daily work routine.

Every employee is different in how they approach tasks and every job will require its own unique tasks. It is helpful to provide employees with ideas on how they can conquer their daily tasks in order to improve performance, but it is important to allow employees to have the flexibility to choose how they approach their work. This will help improve employee engagement as well as productivity.

1. Conquer complex tasks first

One way employees can improve their productivity is to conquer difficult tasks by prioritizing them by the level of difficulty and urgency. Many blogs on the issue of productivity encourage employees to tackle these tasks first, but daily workflow may be improved by allowing employees to conquer these tasks when they are most alert.

Some employees find that they get a lot done in the morning when they arrive at work and it’s quiet. Others feel like they have a brain fog until the early afternoon.

When possible, it’s best to let employees manage their time so they can be most productive when they are actually most productive.

2. Avoid taking on more than you can handle

One way to increase employee engagement is to help employees manage their time and manage workflow. There are some employees who are always willing to take on things to help others.

These are the employees who may quickly feel like they are drowning in work because they don’t have the heart to say no to their colleagues or they feel like they can’t say no to their manager. It is important for managers to encourage employees to set boundaries, within reason.

Managers can help improve employee engagement by ensuring that the work is evenly spread out.

Managers can also help employees by assisting them to estimate and budget their time. This is a skill that is often not considered, but it can be helpful for an employee to budget their time during the day.

There are some tasks that are easy to estimate, while others may be more difficult. Employees often fail to take into consideration the “little things” that seem to come up throughout the day.

For example, the requirement to check emails and reply to them or the phone calls that interrupt their train of thought. As employees become more skilled at estimating how much time each task takes, they can better estimate their workload.

3. Take breaks

Taking a break is a great way to clear your mind and a chance to come back to work refreshed. For some, it may be helpful to tune out for 10 minutes listening to music or a podcast. For others, getting the circulation flowing is a welcome distraction. Take a walk, climb the stairs, or even get a stretch in – it can provide the mental break needed from the tasks at hand.

4. Leave work at work

As a manager, do you ever dream about work at night? It’s not very relaxing! You don’t want your employees to feel like they can’t escape work. One of the best ways to help keep employees productive is to help them leave work at work unless it is urgent.

Some people feel like they are getting ahead when they do more in their off-hours, but the reality is that they may get burned out faster (not to mention the potential issues with pay for non-exempt employees).

When employees feel like they can disconnect from work, they will come back the next day more relaxed and ready to work, which will lead to higher productivity. There may be times when certain employees need to work from home, but the expectations should be clear on who, when, and why it’s needed.

5. HR solutions

Communication is critical for effective work performance. There are several HR solutions that can help your company achieve better communication and collaboration. Most people think about email when they think of company communication, but when employees constantly check their emails they become less productive.

There are chat platforms, such as Slack, that can help you communicate quickly within the company.

However, these tools can also interrupt employees when they aren’t used properly. There are tools available that allow companies to delegate tasks to employees without interrupting the work already in progress.

In addition, HR should work with management to decide which tasks are required and which ones can be automated. There are activities that are necessary, but waste time.

For example, completing timesheets, expense reports, and payroll. Examining which activities can be automated can free up time for employees to work on more important things in their daily workflow.

A note for managers

While some of these tips may seem easy or be a low priority, managers can benefit from taking the time to coach their employees on time management and productivity.

When managers are aware of their employees’ habits, they may be able to catch small issues before they become big problems. A change in productivity is often the first sign that an employee is disengaged or that something is off. Managers who can identify these changes may be able to de-escalate problems.

In conclusion, managers can help make employees more productive by understanding some of the pitfalls employees fall into that waste time and supporting their efforts to be more productive. How to improve work performance is a task that should take into account individual characteristics, company culture, workplace changes, and planning for the future.

This is not a one-size-fits-all approach because every individual is different in how they work best and every job requires different priorities.

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