Team productivity often traces back to how productive each individual member of a team can be. With growing numbers of workers now remote or hybrid in their work arrangements, understanding what aids employee efforts in being more productive (wherever they are based) can help improve team productivity at work.
FlexJobs tapped four workplace experts to weigh in with their strategies on how teams can get more productive—person by person.
Support Calendar Transparency
Sharon Steiner Hart, an executive coach at the global coaching firm Talking Talent, believes that communication and planning are the best tools employers can use to ensure that employees can be productive as a team when some or all have flex or remote working arrangements.
“Some level of calendar transparency that allows team members to see availability is helpful,” Hart said. To help create this transparency, Hart suggests that managers consider asking their flex employees to add their working hours to their signature as a reminder of their schedule.
“If employees who are in the office all meet at a certain time of day, but that is when the flex worker has to pick his son up from school, he may join but not be engaged in the call,” Hart points out. “In order to find the best meeting times and heads-down coworking times for everyone, there must be an honest conversation about what works for each team member.”
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Lose Time Wasters
Hema Crockett and Jamie Jacobs are cofounders of Gig Talent, a talent collective that provides HR and coaching solutions for organizations that want to tap into the on-demand talent economy. They are also coauthors of the book Designing Exceptional Organizational Cultures: How to Develop Companies Where Employees Thrive. Crockett and Jacobs emphasize that one of the best ways to increase productivity within teams—especially those in a hybrid or remote work environment—is by improving time management.
While some of this has to come from the individual employee, Crockett stressed that there are things to do as a manager in order to encourage a productive team environment. “For example, before setting up a meeting, evaluate if and why the meeting should happen,” Crockett said. “This can be done by writing down notes or talking points beforehand to avoid tangents and maintain the flow while also evaluating whether or not the meeting needs to happen in the first place.”
Empower Two-Way Communication
Crockett and Jacobs shared that another strategy to boost productivity is by giving regular feedback while also taking time to listen to employees. “This helps build trust between a leader and their team and helps increase motivation to not only get the work done but to get it done right,” Jacobs explained.
The HR experts added that prioritizing employee mental health is critical, especially in a hybrid/remote environment where people may have a harder time connecting with managers to share their concerns. “Take the time to check in and understand what the team and/or individual needs are in order for employees to feel like they can be honest about where they are at,” Jacobs said.
Help Remote Workers Define Boundaries
Marketing specialist Philip Pasma, Founder of Asterisk Marketing, told FlexJobs that he has had great success running his business with remote workers. He highlighted the importance of defining boundaries as critical to increasing his remote team’s productivity levels. To aid in this effort, Pasma recommends that managers coach their employees to clarify and designate a certain area in their home as a workspace station.
“The best is to ask your flex workers or remote workers to establish a workplace in a certain room,” Pasma said. “Losing focus due to noise and disruptions from the household people are the major reasons for hindered remote work. Productivity of an employee is reduced due to this fact.” When selecting a space, Pasma advised that employees choose one with minimum traffic around the home and off the main area of the household. “The lesser the household interruption or intrusion during the work hour, the better would be the performance of your remote employee,” he concluded.
Boost Productivity, Boost Success
By identifying individual and team needs, improving time management, maintaining open communication, and encouraging boundaries, remote employers can reinforce their team’s efforts to be more productive no matter where they work.
Distinguish Your Remote (or Hybrid) Workplace Culture
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