Ask any CEO if they would like greater productivity in their organization and you will get a resounding “yes.” That’s not to say that they are generally displeased with the current level of productivity. But more would be better for many reasons. Improved organizational productivity reduces costs and talent shortages, while increasing innovation and (when done right) employee engagement. And I’m talking about more than just investing in updated technology – which has an uneven history of boosting productivity. Few investments are made to tangibly increase the culture of organizational productivity.
But there is a powerful force that can increase organizational productivity, if properly harnessed – culture. The ways things are done every day by everyone is the single biggest influence on organizational productivity. Here are five places to start building the productivity culture in your organization.
Create a Clear Picture
By a clear picture. I mean two things:
- What productivity is.
- What it means to the organization’s health and success.
Many people see productivity increases as a way to “make us busier,” which no one wants. But that isn’t really productivity. Productivity is about accomplishment, not activity. When you talk about increasing productivity, you must be clear that you mean getting more of the right things done. Make sure they understand that the goal is not to further overload them.
Secondly, no one can really argue with “Productivity is good, more productivity is better.” But that isn’t what will inspire or motivate people to achieve more. Having a clear vision of why productivity increases tangibly impacts the organizational mission is far more powerful. Focus less on platitudes and more on the specific ways increasing organizational productivity will change the organization’s outcomes.
How clear is the picture of productivity in your organization?
Make Productivity an Organizational Value
If you want to increase organizational productivity, you must make it a core value of the organization. When anything becomes a true priority, it has a better chance of improving. If productivity is seen as an add-on or nice-to-have, higher priorities will (rightly so) get more attention.
How high is productivity on your organizational priority list?
Reduce Policies and Bureaucracy
Call it what you want: bureaucracy, policies, red tape. We all know that the more of it there is, the more productivity will be hampered. If you are serious about improving productivity, you must look at the type and quantity of policies and procedures. Ask team members which processes are stumbling blocks. See what can be streamlined and/or eliminated to reduce productivity drag and get more meaningful work done faster.
What policies and processes are dampening productivity? How can you reduce or eliminate them?
Help Leaders See Their Personal Impact
Team leaders can have a huge impact on team productivity based on how they lead and the choices they make. Giving leaders training and tools to be more personally productive is a good first step. But there are several other things leaders can do to increase the productivity of their team.
How productive are your leaders? How equipped are they to positively impact team and organizational productivity?
Encourage Team Process Improvement
Improving organizational productivity isn’t solely a top-down activity. Those who know the work best are also best able to identify snags, roadblocks, and even creative solutions. Once people understand what is meant by productivity, why increasing it is in their best interest, and feel empowered to change it, good things can happen. Organizations often ask teams to look for innovations in products or services. How often do they encourage them to look for productivity gains?
Are you allowing, encouraging, and rewarding individuals to find productivity improvements?
If you want and need improvements in organizational productivity, these five actions can help. Use the questions from each action to determine your current situation and point you to a more productive future.
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