Improving productivity in your organization isn’t just a “nice thing to try”; it’s a business imperative. From coast to coast, employers are frustrated with the gap between what great people can and do accomplish on the job.

Case in point? A March 2018 VitalSmarts study found that:

• A whopping 88% of managers have at least one high-potential direct report who doesn’t live up to that potential on the job.
• 70% of managers currently have at least one high-potential employee they’re considering terminating because their performance is simply unacceptable.

Don’t Let Your Team’s Potential Go Unrealized!

How can you take promising professionals from “good” to “great” on the job? It may be as simple as changing their mindset about productivity.

While most ideas for boosting productivity and performance focus on actions and habits, small shifts in the way your employees think about getting work done can help them be much more effective. This Fast Company post provides four ways to change employees’ minds about productivity – and elevate their performance:

Shift from Chaos to Choice

Organizational and priority-management skills are essential for helping professionals stay in control of their workday – especially when things become overwhelming or unexpected problems arise. When team members feel like they don’t have a moment to catch their breath and catch up, remind them to be deliberate, take stock of their situation, and use techniques like prioritization, list-making and delegation to get back on track.

Shift from To-Dos to Agreements

Instead of viewing work tasks as a never-ending barrage of to-dos, help employees cultivate an “agreement mindset” about their responsibilities. When people think of tasks and projects as agreements, it: gives them a greater sense of control in taking on the activity; helps them become more discerning about what they can and should take on; and provides a professional way to “renegotiate” when they’re concerned about their ability to get something done.

Shift from Performance to Outcome

If employees are “stuck in the weeds” at work and not delivering the result you need, they may be too focused on process (e.g., checking off to-dos, following steps, tracking analytics, etc.). Help them tweak their mindset by reminding them about why they’re doing something. By keeping the desired outcome at the heart of their activities, they’ll stay motivated about achieving the right results.

Shift from Urgency to Impact

Busy work. Fire-fighting. Addressing other people’s priorities. With all this reacting, how can employees to get meaningful work done? Train them to organize their work so that they accomplish at least one “high impact” objective each day. In this earlier post, “Success Habits: Brilliant Rituals High Performers Follow” we share practical ways your team can accomplish more by changing the way they plan and spend their time.

Want to help your superstar employees realize their potentials?

Exact Staff is here to help. Serving organizations across the nation, we provide a full complement of staffing solutions to fast-track projects, delegate non-core tasks, and keep your team focused on high-priority work. Just give us a call!