Strategies To Increase Employee Productivity

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Increase employee productivity|Strategies To Increase Employee ProductivityAre you looking to increase employee productivity? This is something that every manager wants to achieve, but it is not easy, and you will also notice that productivity levels rise and fall constantly. When you are able to increase productivity and know-how to get employees out of a productivity rut, you will be able to improve individual, team, and business performances. In addition to this, keeping productivity levels high will create a positive, hardworking culture that every company will benefit from. There are a number of effective strategies to try to increase employee productivity levels – this article will outline a few of the best strategies.

Determine Problem Areas

The best place to start is with the problem areas and the reasons why productivity levels fall. Sometimes, these reasons might be obvious, such as a workload that is too high, but you will also need to communicate with staff and encourage them to come forward with the problems that they are having in their roles. Addressing these issues can unlock productivity, make work easier for your team and take the entire business forward.

Involve Staff In Decision Making

Leading on from this, it is also worthwhile involving staff in the decision-making process. This is because employees bring different viewpoints to the table and often have the best ideas for improving processes because they are the ones carrying out the tasks each day. Not only this but involving staff in decision-making is smart because it will help them to feel valued and lift morale – this is key for maintaining high levels of productivity.

Give Positive Feedback

As a manager, you should be giving regular and genuine positive feedback to your staff and not waiting for performance reviews to do this. Even a “good job” or “thanks for your hard work” can make a huge difference to morale while also helping to create a stronger bond between staff and management. Positive feedback will make staff feel seen and valued and help them to know that they are on the right track. Giving construction criticism is also important and helpful for addressing small issues before they become big problems – just be sure to give construction criticism with tact and always do it in private.

Get To Know Your Staff

Managers should also take the time to get to know their staff on an individual level. This allows you to build positive relationships, which are key for morale and performance, but also so that you can determine the best ways to get the most out of them. Everyone is different, and a good manager will know how to motivate each individual team member as well as know what their strengths and weaknesses are so that you can match the task to skill.

Use Staff Training

Following on from this, you should also use staff training as a way to improve the capabilities of each individual staff member. You should learn the career goals for each team member and then help them achieve this within your business, which you can do through staff training and role variation. Additionally, if staff have areas that are holding them back, then you should offer staff training so that they can turn these areas into strengths.

Offer Career Development

You should also offer the chance for people to progress with their careers within your business. Most people are ambitious and have plans to climb the ladder and earn more money, so it is important that they are able to do this within your business. This will encourage them to knuckle down, work hard and develop so that they will be able to rise through the ranks. This is a win-win situation because employees get to advance their careers, it will help to boost productivity, and you are able to promote from within.

Outsource HR

Many businesses find that outsourcing HR is an effective way to increase employee productivity. When you use HR services for small businesses, it will free up time and energy to focus their energy on key aspects of their role. In addition to this, it also means that they will be working for a business that is well-run and they will be well looked after. A business that has an HR department being handled by experts will have a workforce that feels supported, and issues that could impact productivity will be handled swiftly.

Use Goals & Incentives

Using goals and incentives is one of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to productivity and motivation. You should set individual team members and departments short, medium, and long-term goals. These should be goals that are challenging yet achievable so that you can celebrate when these goals are achieved and to create positive momentum, which is so important when it comes to maintaining high levels of productivity.

Create A Positive Workplace Atmosphere

Finally, it is important to create a positive workplace atmosphere, and this all comes from the top. Management can create a positive workplace atmosphere with a comfortable, practical, and open-plan office space, encouraging conversations amongst staff and with collaborative projects. Additionally, team building and social events can help to create the right kind of atmosphere. When you are able to cultivate a positive workplace atmosphere, it means that people will come into work feeling positive each day and enjoy working alongside their colleagues. This will always be helpful in terms of boosting productivity as well as making work more enjoyable for everyone at the organization.

These are a few of the best and most effective strategies to try if you want to improve employee productivity in your business. In order for a business to succeed over the long term, you need to keep your staff productivity levels high, but this is not always easy. Productivity levels tend to rise and fall, so as a manager, you want to know how to keep levels high for as long as possible and how to manage any dips that occur.

Advice For Manufacturing Leaders To Improve Performance

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Improve Performance|Advice For Manufacturing Leaders To Improve PerformanceAs a manufacturing business leader, it is vital that you know how to manage your team to improve business performance. This is an industry quite unlike any other, which is why some manufacturing leaders struggle to get the most out of their team and hit their targets. In this line of work, you need to know how to manage bottlenecks, keep staff motivated and ensure that the daily operation is running as smoothly as possible. With this in mind, this post will outline a few pieces of advice that should help you to become a better manufacturing leader and hopefully help you to take your business to new heights.

Analyze Each Process

First, you should sit down with team members to discuss each process in the daily operation. You should discuss if there are any issues or bottlenecks that are occurring and find ways to overcome these issues. Even a small change to a seemingly small process can make a big difference to the overall efficiency of the operation. Be sure to ask staff for their feedback and ideas – often, they have the best solutions as they are the ones carrying out the work each day. You will also find that this is helpful in terms of making your staff feel valued.

Use Ongoing Staff Training

You should also be providing ongoing staff training so that your team are continuously improving and able to excel in their role. Staff training will help to improve individual performances, which collectively will take the business to new heights. Additionally, learn what the career goals are of each of your team members and then find ways to help them achieve this under your wing. This should help to keep your team happy and motivated, which will be key for high-performance levels and retaining your top performers.

Prioritize Health & Safety

Manufacturing can be a hazardous industry, and it is vital that you provide a safe work environment for your team. This is so that you can prevent any accidents or injuries from occurring, but also so that your team can feel safe in their job. There are a few ways to prioritize health and safety, including:

  • Risk assessment
  • Removing/mitigating hazards
  • Health and safety training
  • First-aid training
  • PPE
  • Signage

Keep Morale High

One of the toughest aspects of leadership is keeping morale high within your team. Morale levels will naturally rise and fall, but you need to know how to manage each team member as what works well for one person may not work for another. A few of the best ways that you can keep morale high include:

  • Positive feedback
  • Career development
  • Flexible working
  • Team building and social events
  • Relaxed workplace atmosphere

Use Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

Often, manufacturing leaders do not know if they are finding success and making money until the profit and loss statement is delivered by which point it is too late. As a leader, it is much more useful if you can gauge performance in real-time to see if you are on track and if there are any changes that need to happen. This is possible with the use of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), which is a tool that shows real-time data relating to manufacturing profitability. This data includes if your assets are available and running properly, if you are hitting production targets and if quality standards are being met. OOE from specialists like https://www.hertzler.com/overall-equipment-effectiveness/ ensures that you are always on track and will help to improve financial performance.

Automate As Much As You Can

Automation is a word that can cause some anxiety, especially in manufacturing. Automation does not have to lead to job losses, though, as automation and staff can co-exist on the workflow, and this is particularly evident in manufacturing with the rise of cobots. You should look to automate as much of the daily operation as you can, as this will speed processes up and reduce errors. In addition to this, you will find that automation will free up time and mental energy for your team to focus on the more important aspects of their job while lightening their load.

If you are a manufacturing leader that is looking to improve performance, then these are a few of the key areas to focus on. It can be tough as a manufacturing leader, and it is not always clear how you can improve performance and be a good leader, but these areas should help you to boost the business and be the best leader possible for your team.

Internet-Free Marketing Methods To Help Spread The Word About Your Brand

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Internet-free marketing|Internet-Free Marketing Methods To Help Spread The Word About Your BrandA quick search into the world of modern marketing will likely present you with a whole host of different web-based options to help you advertise your brand, but your methods should not be exclusively internet focused if you want to reach a wide and varied audience. Advertising online allows you to reach out to a fairly limited audience of teenagers and young adults, as potential customers at retirement age or older may not even have ready access to the internet inside their home! So, it’s never been more important for you to spread your efforts across the board, utilizing internet-free advertising techniques that can boost your business like never before. If you’re interested in learning more about the best traditional marketing methods, then read on.

Leafleting

One of the most effective options that you can pursue to advertise your brand without the need for the internet is leafleting. Leafleting can be an excellent way to spread the word about your business in a specific area, so this is ideal for local brands that need loyal customers from nearby to sustain them. You can use a professional commercial printing service to create an eye-catching and informative leaflet that describes your business’s ethos as well as your unique selling points. It’s a good idea to include an encouraging feature that inspires them to visit your business after reading their leaflet, such as a discount voucher that they can cut out and use in-store.

Television Advertising

Another brilliant option that you should consider if you want to market your brand successfully without the web is television advertising. Millions of people watch television nationwide every single day, and you could utilize this opportunity to plug your products and services to the masses! A television ad can be as short as 10-15 seconds, so you need to be able to pack as much into this limited period as you can. Creating and using a catchy jingle (a snappy commercial tune or 1-2 line song) will be of real benefit, as it can help your television advert stick in the viewer’s mind and encourage them to remember and recognize your ad and brand respectively.

Billboards

Last but by no means least, billboards are another great way to market your brand without the need for a WiFi connection. When placed in the right locations, billboards can be some of the most effective methods of promoting your business in your chosen area. Good locations include roadsides that often experience heavy traffic, slow speed limit roads and city center buildings. Your billboards will be seen by the masses if you choose places that attract lots of people, so it’s always an effective pathway to explore.

It’s never been easier to spread the word about your brand, products and services without the need for the internet when you can utilize some of the brilliant ideas that have been carefully described above. There’s truly no time like the present to get started, so what are you waiting for?

Four Steps To Get You Started When Self Employed

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |become self-employed|Four Steps To Get You Started When Self EmployedMaking the decision to work for yourself is a significant one. Covid-19 has also influenced a few additional folks to make or rethink this decision. There are a lot of things to think about if you want to improve your chances of success.

Below, we’ll go through some of the most crucial points:

Do You Have An Idea For A Business?

Many developments that would have occurred regardless have been expedited by Covid-19, such as more individuals working from home, people choosing to support small enterprises over chains, buying locally, and so on. Of course, inventing anything new isn’t required to become self-employed, though it can be beneficial in some situations. Covid-19 has shown how ready people are to help small businesses in difficulty, and it appears that this pattern will likely. When choosing a self-employment career, think about the existing markets and any unique brand qualities you may offer.

Choosing A Company Name

Use of your own name may be appropriate if you intend to operate as a self-employed lawyer or electrical engineer, for example. A unique name that distinguishes your business from the competition is essential if you’re starting a new online patisserie or baby store. Double-check that the company name isn’t already in use before proceeding. You may also want to consider purchasing a domain name that corresponds to your company’s name so that you aren’t disappointed when it comes time to establish an online presence and the name you want isn’t readily accessible. When deciding on a business name, take into consideration whether you’ll be a sole trader or a private organization, among other things. Once you’ve decided on a business name, you’ll need to work with a website construction company to get your website online and running.

Begin Your Business Plan

A business strategy is necessary for even the tiniest self-employed enterprises. Consider your SWOT, (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats). Think about the equipment you’ll need to run your business. What revenue targets do you have in mind? You must be able to submit your business plan if you want to apply for a bank loan or a company grant. Will you provide OnPay Solutions? Will you offer rapid delivery?

Examine Your Financial Situation

You’ll need to start accepting payments for work you’ve completed or making payments for your business after you’ve started accepting payments. After a while, you’ll realize how difficult it is to keep track of both your business money and your personal income. A company bank account is not essential for a sole proprietorship, but having one is beneficial, particularly when it comes to tax filing and record-keeping.

When you start working as a self-employed individual or when you start a new business, you must mark out the following four categories from your list. Have you ever considered going into business for yourself? What have you been thinking about? Do you already have a plan in place? Please share some of your thoughts in the comments below.

Signs You’re Ready To Open A Business

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Ready to open a business|Signs You're Ready To Open A BusinessIt’s not always easy to see when you have a talent for something. Right now, you could be holding off on showing the world what you’re made of but there really is no need to do that if you are sure that you know you can get what you want. If you are one of the many people out there looking at ways that you can start and maintain your own business, you wouldn’t be alone.

You might love your job. You might not be brave enough to dip a toe in the idea that you could be the boss one day. You might not even be ready to understand how to plan an IT strategy and learn how to accelerate your digital marketing, either. You might love your job right now but if you have the talent and the chance to be your boss and call the shots, why not go for it. With this in mind, here are some clear signs that you should start your own business.

  1. You have a ton of ideas. If your brain is constantly moving and shaking, then maybe it’s about time you paid attention to it. The chances are that at least one of those ideas is going to be good enough to earn money from. If you feel like you are bursting with all of these new ideas, then it’s time to look at them a little closer and decide if any of them are right for your business.
  2. You feel like your talents are wasted. Most people are in their careers because they feel challenged and want to learn even more about the industry that they’re in. Whether it’s a physical or a mental one, you need to feel like you are good at what you do. If you’re not challenged enough, you could create the opportunities that will make you feel better and give you an income.
  3. You’ve hit the ceiling. There is only so far that you can go for some jobs, and if you hit that glass ceiling with nowhere to go beyond it, you need more. A business could be that ‘more’ that you’re looking for and it’s a great place to go. You can step out on your own and show off a little of what you know and what you can do. It’s the most exhilarating fun!
  4. You’re spending time outside the office. If you aren’t doing the job you initially signed up for, then you need to create your own opportunities. You should think about how you can make the job you’re doing the one that you want and not the one that you have to do to get by. Opening your own business is one of the best things that you can do here as you’re the one to call the shots and really get it out there what you want to do.
  5. Others will see what you can do. One of the biggest reasons that people open their own businesses is to showcase what they can do to others. You want others to see what you are capable of, and being your own business leader can help you to do this.