01/28/2016

5 Ways To Drive Workplace Productivity

By Tim Donovan

Every workplace has its own culture, processes and policies. For better or worse, these things have a major impact on productivity. At Figmints, we’ve created a culture that allows us to stay productive consistently.

I’d like to share the 5 things that I think make us more productive, and we hope that you are able to implement some of these things in your workplace as well.

1. INTERNET USE IS REQUIRED

I get it, some jobs require people to drive, talk on the phone or operate machinery. In some instances, I can see where internet use is frowned upon or just downright unacceptable. But what if you work in an office in front of a computer? I’m not saying that you should be checking Facebook and watching cat videos, but with the power of Google you can almost instantly find answers to any question you may have, versus waiting for your colleague to respond to your email, or interrupting someone by tapping them on the shoulder. At Figmints we always search for an answer online before bothering someone else.

2. WORK REMOTELY WHEN YOU NEED TO

Don’t you just love finding out that your doctor’s office, or the auto repair shop is only open during your regular work hours? Taking the day off can be very inconvenient for your clients and your employer. But what if you could work from home prior to and after your appointment? The beauty of modern technology is that it allows us to stay connected 24/7, whether we’re sitting across the room from each other, or halfway around the world.

For businesses that rely on computing software and hardware, it’s possible to have a fraction or the entirety of your business function from remote locations. We like to utilize software such as Basecamp, Dropbox, Harvest and Slack to make it possible for us to work remotely – be it one person or the entire agency.

3. ENCOURAGE YOUR TEAM TO TAKE BREAKS OR TIME OFF WHEN NEEDED

We’ve all been there. Say you’re crunching to meet a deadline, it’s not breaktime and you need to use the restroom right now. Why don’t you just get up and go? Why stress yourself out when you can take a few minutes to step away from your desk? If you have a headache, take 10 minutes to close your eyes. If you need to relax, take an extra 10 minutes of lunch time and stay 10 minutes later.

The truth is that if you’re not comfortable, then your work is suffering. A single person’s performance can have a huge impact on an entire business. We take breaks when we need them, and encourage each other to do what we need to do in order to stay productive.

4. EXCELLENT REVIEW PROCESSES

I know what you’re thinking – the dreaded annual review. Everyone stresses out about their annual review and it shouldn’t be like that. Instead of worrying about all the things you screwed up on this past year and having them brought up by your boss, you should consider it a learning experience to help better your career and the company you work for. Don’t take any of the less than exceptional things you did as stabs, but as feedback that you can reflect on and learn from.

At Figmints, we have an excellent peer review process where every so often we get to review each of our team members. All of the feedback is sent to each person anonymously and highlights the good, the bad, and some recommendations for improvement. It also offers a company-wide perspective on your performance, as opposed to the observations of a single individual.

5. CULTURE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS PRODUCTIVITY

If you don’t love the people you work with, then how are you possibly going to love the work that you do? Productivity is important to every business, and work culture should be considered equally important. Sure, you have the opportunity to hire a mid twenty-something year old with an incredible resume and low salary requirements – but do they fit in? What’s their personality like? Do they have a sense of humor? Are they introverted or extroverted? Can they work as part of a team? How quickly and efficiently can he or she solve problems?

Considering whether or not someone is the right culture fit is just as important as their skill set and background. If they are not the right culture fit, it doesn’t matter how talented they are – It just won’t work.

These are only a few of the things at Figmints that keep us productive, and make it a great place to work for. Now that you know how we keep ourselves and our clients’ projects on track, we’d love to help you too! If you have any questions about how we can help you implement a new brand, website, video or marketing campaign, please send us a note at info@figmints.com.