Feel like you can’t gain traction at work?

Overwhelmed by continual interruptions?

Struggling to focus?

We get it. Honestly, most of us deal with productivity issues at least occasionally. But while the world around you won’t stop so you can catch your breath (and catch up), there ARE things you and your team can do to improve your focus and overall workplace productivity. Here are three fresh ideas from Exact Staff:

Turn “can’t” into “can.”

Hear a lot of great excuses for why employees can’t get things done? Prone to procrastinating yourself? Find ways to eliminate excuses, and you’ll all get more done:

• When employees offer excuses, ask good questions to get to the root of the problem. Determine if they really “can’t” get something done, or if it’s possible to remove roadblocks, resource constraints or other external factors on which they place blame.
• Make sure everyone has the tools, time, training and support needed to accomplish objectives.
• Discuss projects and timelines candidly before “can’ts” arise. Proactively managing expectations helps employees adopt a high-performance mentality which will improve their productivity.

Put time constraints on daily tasks.

According to Parkinson’s law, work expands to fill the time available for its completion. In other words, if you give an employee an hour to complete a task, he’ll get it done in an hour. And if you give him an hour and a half, he’ll take the full hour and a half to complete the exact same task.

The lesson here? A little structure can go a long way toward improving productivity. Assemble a team to analyze processes, procedures and everyday tasks throughout your organization. Develop realistic estimates for how long each should take, and then set time budgets for their completion moving forward. This doesn’t make you a “task master”; it makes you a smart business professional. By putting realistic time constraints on common tasks, you encourage employees to get down to business quickly – and waste less time.

Access others who can help you.

When work piles up, it can be tough to focus on accomplishing your highest priorities. An experienced staffing partner like Exact Staff can serve as a valuable ally in driving your productivity:

• Offload low-priority and administrative activities to free up more time for key priorities.
• Meet tight deadlines.
• Cost-effectively flex your workforce to keep your business running smoothly when things get busy.
• Prevent burnout and overwork, both of which can undermine workplace productivity.

Looking to improve overall productivity in your workplace?

Exact Staff is here to support you. Whether you’re up against a deadline, need to staff up for a big project, or want to build your core team, our national employment agency provides a full complement of staffing and placement services to help you get the most from your workforce.