Whether you work side by side in an office or hundreds of miles apart on a remote team, productivity is always an issue. Many factors can impact productivity, such as your team’s strengths and weaknesses, amount of diversity, and management style. Getting the best out of your team requires finesse and skill, but it doesn’t have to be a source of stress or take up all your time. Here’s how you can maximize your team’s productivity and empower them to do their best work.

Choose the Right Software
Automation will soon take over many of the daily tasks and responsibilities your team handles. Applications and software are essential tools of today’s workforce, and it’s important to do your research and choose the right software for your team. From updated accounting to data analysis, your team will rely on efficient and useful software to complete their objectives. If you don’t have a project management system in place, it’s critical to start there and build the foundation for digital communication and collaboration. There are many MS Project alternatives that can help your team stay organized while navigating various projects and tasks.
Develop Trust and Community
If you’re part of a startup environment, focusing on trust and community can help you retain new employees and empower your team to work together to achieve their goals. It can be tempting to jump into the work before developing a sense of community between team members, especially when there are so many opportunities for growth. Yet trust and positive relationships will set you up for success in the long term. You shouldn’t overlook the chance to take your team for a retreat and build that sense of community through team-building activities and experiences.
Streamline Your Communication
One of the first reasons that productivity suffers is a lack of communication. Being able to communicate is a central pillar of success. When you have a team member who is too intimidated to ask an important question or a team lead who doesn’t give helpful critique or feedback, you should address these communication issues.
Before your team gets rolling on a new project, make sure that you streamline your communication channel. Simple things such as getting everyone set up on a team chat, assigning a chain of command for reporting issues, and putting regular meetings in the calendar can save you time and increase everyone’s productivity from the beginning.
Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities
You may have a team of motivated people, but the work still isn’t getting done at the rate you expect. If your team members’ roles and responsibilities aren’t well defined, this can lead to problems with productivity. The last thing you want is for two or more people to focus on the same task while ignoring other aspects of the project. You can fix this problem by stepping in and dividing up your team into more clearly defined roles.
Your team members will be more confident and satisfied with their progress when they understand their roles and have a clear pathway for communication. These simple steps will help you boost productivity in the workplace.