When you’re running a small business the number of tasks you have to keep track of can threaten to overwhelm you. And while you may be firefighting these issues on a constant basis, you may not be digging to the core of what makes your business tick: productivity. A well-oiled machine can be achieved in simple ways. And it’s not about targets and slave-driving, but it’s about implementing a few simple hacks that can increase focus and happiness which will result in better work all round!
Relinquishing Your Grip
Flexibility is the most desired trait in employees now. If you are an employer who is very strict and expects people to be chained to their desk from 9 am until 5 pm, but the results aren’t what you expect, you have to allow for more flexibility. Giving your employees the power to choose when they work, within reason, will make them happier.
Improving The Environment
There are simple things we can do to change the environment. Lighting is something that has an impact on your employees’ mood. If you have a sterile environment with harsh lights, installing bigger windows so that your employees have access to real daylight will improve their outlook no end! Temperature is another thing that you can manipulate to improve your employees’ productivity. If your air conditioning doesn’t work, and the office heats up like the Bahamas, contacting a commercial AC repair company to ensure it’s working properly will result in a cooler office and “hotter” work.
Giving Employees Their Own Space Away From Work
Your employees don’t want to think about work all the time. You need to find ways to give them the prerogative to unwind, even within the office! The Pomodoro technique is a productivity hack that has worked wonders for people, and if your office space is small and uninspiring, giving the workers the chance to escape or have a mental and physical break will renew their senses. If you are of the school of thought that you need to keep your employees motivated, time away from the desk is as important.
Hypnotize Them!
While you don’t actually have to hypnotize them, there are certain tricks you can take advantage of to help your workers focus that are as good as! If they are struggling to complete a task in the middle of a noisy office, a pair of headphones and binaural beats or websites like SimplyNoise offers “tones” to ensure your employees aren’t distracted and are able to focus on the task at hand. Other options include meditation machines that are pre-programmed to relax people so they can focus better. While it’s not hypnotizing in the traditional way, encouraging they make more use of white noise or binaural beats can help workers to focus on their tasks more, and complete the work quicker.
Productivity is the priority. And you can take advantage of these tricks as well. If you find yourself struggling with all of the tasks needed to keep the business afloat, practice what you preach. You want your employees to feel they’ve done a good job, but you want to see the results as well. So if you think that being strict isn’t working, try a few of these little hacks.
