Productivity and Corporate Wellness

Most employees want to be productive. If people can’t get their work done they can feel stressed.  This causes them to worry. And despite working hard many employees often feel they are not “on top of things”.

There is plenty of research to show that “happy” employees are  more productive (1). But the opposite is also true. If employees can be productive, they feel happier. Because being productive gives an employee a sense of achievement. Making a plan and being able to stick to it is satisfying. That helps people switch off and refresh after work.

Reducing stress and promoting a positive mindset helps employees feel their best. It also helps people perform better and feel more engaged.

Causes of Stress in the Workplace

Here are some of the reasons that cause people stress at work.

• Changing demands and priorities
• Inefficient systems and processes
• Lack of clarity around role and expectations
• Poor communication with managers
• Poor Time Management
• Long hours, poor work-life balance

Most of these factors also cause low productivity. By removing some of these stress factors an organisation can also reduce employee stress levels.

A Productive Culture Benefits Everyone

A culture of productivity  encourages everyone to perform at their best level. To foster this culture an organisation needs to provide the best tools, the best processes, the best managers and the best training.

Here are some questions to help identify possible barriers to productivity:

1. Are people clear about what is expected ?
2. What are the bottlenecks or inefficiencies?
3. Are people collaborating when deadlines change?
4. Have the employees got the skills to be productive?
5. Are the managers enabling productivity?

How To Improve Productivity and Wellness

Encourage your managers and their teams to change together. Ask them to identify their specific local barriers to productivity and time management. Encourage engagement so that people will be more committed to making improvements. This can strengthen relationships as people work together towards a common purpose.

Managers and their teams need to be empowered and supported to make changes.

Quick Tips To Improve Productivity

Some of the changes identified may take time to achieve. But here are some quick changes to consider:

1. Provide clarity around everyday roles and responsibilities
2. Develop a productive approach to meetings to reduce time and improve follow up
3. Use smart Email practices to reduce Email processing time
4. Make sure everyone understands individual and team priorities
5. Identify and eliminate distractions within the office.

Productivity within Your Organisation

An environment where people are productive reduces stress. This helps employee wellbeing. And this benefits both the employees and the organisation. It promotes employee engagement too.

Best of luck with any changes you make. Here are links to some of our Productivity Tips articles to get you started. If you are interested in a Seminar to promote Wellness in your Workplace please contact Moira.

You can see details of our Wellness in Work Breakfast series here.

References

(1) Are Happy Workers More Productive?

(2) Be Productive by Eliminating Distractions

Check our Articles section for other productivity tips on Managing Email, Reducing Stress, Managing Your Attention and Saying No