NO MORE TIME MANAGEMENT HACKS. INSTEAD, IMPLEMENT THESE FOUR BEST PRACTICES.
Everyone has different skills and abilities, but everyone gets the exact same amount of hours in a day. That’s why time has been dubbed “the ultimate equalizer.” So if you really want to get ahead, focusing on time management best practices will be hours well spent.
There are time management “hacks” galore. But I’m not interested in a specific system—everyone is unique and needs something different to avoid procrastination and minimize multitasking. Instead, offered below is my interpretation of what the social science research suggests are the four overarching, universal best practices in building time management skills.
Before outlining the four practices, it’s important to first understand the end goal of good time management. Meta-analytic evidence (based on an aggregated study of studies) suggests that the impact of time management on performance is weak at best. So why do it? Because time management is strongly associated with a host of well-being indicators such as stress levels, job satisfaction, and work-life balance. Effective time management can help us to remain productive without unnecessary strain.
Filtering Comes First
Ironically, the most important thing you should do with respect to time management skills has nothing to do with managing your time. No matter how amazing your time management techniques or how disciplined you are, if you let too many things in on the front end, you’ll never have enough time to get everything done on the back end. That’s why the most important thing you can do is filter out what you will not put on your task list or calendar.
Ask For Details. Never commit to a task, project, or partnership outright. How much time will it take? Is there a firm end date or deliverable or is this an ongoing ordeal? Thinking through these questions will ensure that this a worthwhile investment of your time.
Say No. Evaluate whether initiatives align with your goals. If you’re not sure, make a calendar item for a later date to re-evaluate. If the task or event involves others, be honest; there’s nothing wrong with a professional “no thank you.” It’s better than a relationship gone sour.
Availability. Be transparent with others about the amount of time you have available and how much time you are willing to commit. Also, try to uncover whether you are aligned on work pace. Do you have the same sense of urgency? How often will you need to check in?
Stay Inside the System
The majority of time management tips revolve around having specific systems in place. Keep in mind that it’s not the system that helps, but the habits that the system reinforces.
Don’t Let Anything Fall Through the Cracks. Having a system of important tasks and calendar items is fine, but it isn’t enough. Anything and everything that enters your mind—ideas, notes, feedback, etc.—needs to go into one system. These miscellaneous items tend to be random and messy. Spend time translating and organizing them so that they can be incorporated into your task list and schedule.
Regularly Scheduled Reconciliations. Once you have a system, the next step is to regularly reconcile everything in your system. Most people do this daily, but it’s also helpful to do this weekly, monthly, and annually to make sure you’re reprioritizing based on how things have developed. When you do, be sure to scrutinize everything. Refresh important tasks so that they are more relevant, and don’t mindlessly push tasks to a later date.
Prioritize First, Act Second
We’re pretty good at getting things into our system, but we’re really bad at prioritizing what’s in the system. Although many prioritization schemes are out there, perhaps the most timeless is the urgency-importance framework. This leads to four possible scenarios.
Not Urgent-Not Important. Don’t do it. It’s better to delete something off your task list and chip away at something important than to finish an unimportant task.
Urgent-Not Important. Try not to do it. Delegate to others or push back against those that are trying to get you to do it. Keep in mind that although it might not be important to you it might be important to them, so tread lightly.
Urgent-Important. Do it now. The key is to make sure that it is indeed important.
Not Urgent-Important. Make time to do it. More often than not, these are deep-thinking tasks that we never can find the time to tackle. Interestingly, these are also the tasks that are probably in our long-term best interest. Schedule time to make it happen.
Be Strategic About Being a Manager or a Maker
One way to ensure that you are using your time wisely is to pay attention to the differences between being a manager and a maker.
Manager. When you are in manager mode: (a) you are talking, problem-solving, and thinking quickly, (b) you are most productive when allocating time in units of 5 to 15 minutes, (c) your ideal state of consciousness is mindfulness (broad, present-moment attention), and (d) the cost of being in meetings is low.
Maker. When you are in maker mode: (a) you are alone, creating, and thinking slowly, (b) you are most productive when allocating time in units of 2 to 4 hours, (c) your ideal state of consciousness is flow (narrow, present-moment attention), and (d) the cost of being in meetings is high.
Unavailable. When carving out time to act as a maker, there are several mechanisms for making yourself unavailable. Out-of-office assistants, turning off text, social media, and Slack notifications, putting signs on closed doors, etc. Think strategically, experiment, and communicate with colleagues (or family) to explain why you don’t want to be distracted.
Be Careful With Online Scheduling Tools. When planning out time to be in manager mode, be strategic in how you set meetings. If time is money, scheduling meetings is a negotiation, and the goal is to win. Instead of giving out your schedule through Calendly, MixMax, or the like, tell other people when you want to meet. This will ensure that you manage your time and energy in ways that allow you to be more productive. A tool like Clockwise is great for teams.
Keep in mind that trying out different systems is fine, but the key is to develop good time management habits that allow you to stay on top of things over the long term. Focus on filtering on the front end, staying inside one system, regularly reprioritizing, and being strategic with your manager and maker time.
Consider taking my free, validated, and theoretically grounded assessment, “How Well Do You Manage Your Time.” This 12-question assessment will automatically generate your scores and a comparison to your peers.
References
- Claessens, B. J., Van Eerde, W., Rutte, C. G., & Roe, R. A. (2007). A review of the time management literature. Personnel Review.
- Gaskin, J. E., & Skousen, T. (2016). Time-chunking and hyper-refocusing in a digitally-enabled workplace: six forms of knowledge workers. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1627.
- Macan, T. H. (1994). Time management: Test of a process model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79(3), 381.
Stress is at an all-time high around the globe. The time is right to reevaluate whether you are coping appropriately. This post will help you self-assess and self-reflect on whether you’re doing it right.
But first, consider taking my assessment, “What Is Your Coping Style?” This free, nine-question assessment will automatically generate your scores and a comparison to your peers.
Problem-Focused Coping
Problem-focused coping entails attempting to solve the source of the problem. The goal is to stop the stressor altogether.
The challenge, though, is that engaging in such behaviors can be hard, time-consuming, and even introduce new types of stress. Thus, problem-focused coping is a productive, long-term fix, but it takes effort.
Examples
Taking stock of the situation and coming up with a plan.
Focusing one’s efforts and attention on doing things that improve the situation.
Seeking out resources (e.g., people, processes, services) that can help solve the issue at hand.
Download the Cloverleaf Assessment Guide
- A comprehensive list of the assessments that Cloverleaf offers
- Summary of each assessment and what insights you get
- Anticipated time commitments for each assessment
Emotion-Focused Coping
Emotion-focused coping entails managing the emotions associated with the situation. The goal is to minimize the negative physiological and psychological reactions stemming from the stressor.
The challenge here is that emotions can be hard to control. It’s worth the effort, though, because you’ll be more successful at problem-focused coping when you’re emotionally balanced.
Emotion-focused coping is not a long-term fix, because it doesn’t solve the source of the problem, but it’s an important part of the coping process.
Examples
Seeking out social support by finding someone to talk to about how you’re feeling.
Pinpointing, out loud or in writing, exactly what emotions you’re feeling.
Reminding yourself that you’ll be okay, things could be worse, or that you should be appreciative of what you have.
Reappraising the stressor as an opportunity to learn, grow, or develop.
Avoidance-Focused Coping
Avoidance-focused coping entails distancing oneself from the stressor or the feelings of stress. This is an unproductive form of coping. Unfortunately, people do it all the time.
Distracting ourselves from how we are feeling, or refusing to think through how to make things better, only delays the stressor. When it does resurface, it’s typically worse.
Examples
Distracting yourself with something pleasurable, like entertainment (e.g., social media), sleep, or substances (e.g., drugs, alcohol).
Convincing yourself that everything will be fine and work itself out.
Acting as though nothing really happened.
Telling yourself you’ll deal with it when the time is right.
The Right Way to Cope with Stress
Given what we know about stress and coping, here’s what you should or shouldn’t be doing:
Don’t avoid stress. If you’re experiencing stress, your brain and your body are trying to tell you something. Avoidance-focused coping doesn’t work.
Express your emotions. Seek out people or mechanisms (e.g., journaling, meditation) that allow you to acknowledge and accept your feelings. Emotion-focused coping is part of being human. Let it happen.
Start getting organized. Outline the problem, start brainstorming ideas, talk to others to get new perspectives, and then get to work. When it doesn’t work out as planned, iterate, and try again. Problem-focused coping is the primary solution to long-term stress reduction.
Visit www.scottdust.com for more free resources for human capital enthusiasts, including a free e-book titled “A Field Guide to Human Capital Assessments.”
HUMAN SKILL PROGRAMS ARE HITTING LIMITATIONS...
- Close the widening gap between learning and on-the-job application
- Overcome the tension of pausing productivity for development opportunities
- Integrate learning so it is actually in the flow of work
- The evolution of human skill development
- What Automated Coaching™ is and how it works.
To realize your goals in the New Year, focus on goal pursuit, not goal setting.
Researchers have conducted tens of thousands of experiments on goal setting, illustrating that things like difficulty and specificity are associated with better outcomes. Goal setting, however, is only half the battle. And arguably, it’s the easy half. Without proper “goal pursuit,” the well-set goal will never actually be achieved.
It’s that time of year to set the agenda for the upcoming year. To ensure your goals are actually achieved, consider self-reflecting on each of the goal pursuit dimensions described below.
But first, consider taking my free, validated, and theoretically grounded assessment, “The Right Way To Pursue Your Goals.” This 12-question assessment will automatically generate your scores and a comparison to your peers.
Before discussing goal pursuit, it’s important to clarify the first step—goal setting—of which there are two primary frameworks.
First is SMART goals, which stand for specific (S), measurable (M), actionable (A), realistic (R), and time-bound (T). The focus of the SMART framework is making goals clear, objective, and reasonable. The premise is that clarity is associated with action.
Second is FAST goals, which stands for frequently discussed (F), ambitious (A), specific (S), and transparent (T). The FAST framework is relatively new and builds upon the weakness of the SMART framework. Namely, that individuals are embedded within collective systems such as teams or organizations.
If goal setting is the beginning, goal pursuit is everything in-between the beginning and the end. Once a goal has been set, there are four behavioral approaches that should be pursued that increase the likelihood of goal achievement.
Recognize that Goal Pursuit Involve Dynamic Iteration
Frequent Reevaluation. Organizational change is inevitable. Sometimes it’s drastic and sudden (e.g., the pandemic) and sometimes it’s subtle and incremental (e.g., small mistakes over time). It’s also possible that personal circumstances or interests change over time. While it’s important to stick with your goals, it’s also important to update them based upon your circumstances. It’s pointless to accomplish a goal if it’s no longer relevant or fulfilling.
Pinpoint Successes and Failures. Consider what challenges you’ve overcome and what obstacles remain. Such reflection will ensure that you are efficiently refocusing your efforts and coming up with new strategies for goal attainment.
Create Systems. Create systems that make dynamic interaction part of your routine. For example, schedule time on your calendar for yourself or meeting with others, or add the goal reevaluation process to part of your daily or weekly task list. This reevaluation schedule should be commensurate with the timing of the goals (e.g., daily for short-term goals, monthly for annual goals, etc.).
Free Playbook For Creating An Engaging Employee Experience even During Challenging Times
- What The Future Workplace Looks Like
- How To Activate Emotional Intelligence Within Your Team
- Factors Of Employee Motivation
- Strategies For Employee Engagement
- A Hybrid Work Model For Collaboration, Flexibility, & Fulfillment
- The Power Of Coaching In The Workplace
- How To Reduce The Impact Of Labour Turnover
Allow for Goal Pursuit Transparency
Tell Somebody. You’re much more likely to stick with your goals when you verbalize them to friends, family, or colleagues. But go beyond the one-and-done goal reveal. When working with others, don’t “bury the lead.” Begin conversations by clearly explaining your goals and how the initiative at hand plays into those goals.
Network Accountability. Use guilt to your advantage. Nobody enjoys letting others down. To increase your odds of sticking with something, figure out how to create some degree of interdependence between your goals and the goals of others. This forced accountability will inevitably lead to ongoing conversations about how to properly pursue the goals together.
Know Your Why. It’s not enough to simply have a goal. You need to be able to clearly explain why the goal is important to you. Along the way, there will be many people out there that chip away at your ability to stick with your goal. It is in those moments where you need to be able to clearly articulate your why.
Embrace a Multi-Goal Mentality
Reconcile Competing Goals. A glaring flaw of goal-setting frameworks is that they only consider one goal at a time. This is unrealistic. We typically have a list of several goals, some short-term and some long-term, some straightforward and some complex, and some work-related and some personal. It is therefore important to evaluate when and where conflicts manifest. In some cases, it will be necessary to choose one over another. In other cases, it’ll be necessary to make compromises.
Goal Prioritization. Once we recognize the reality of having multiple, competing goals, it is necessary to continually reprioritize goals. Perhaps certain goals should get priority because they are more urgent or because they are tied to other important factors like our well-being or security. Additionally, these goal reprioritization decisions shouldn’t be tied to how we’re feeling in that moment. Instead, these decisions should be based on values and/or higher-order goals.
Time Allocation. We get done what we spend time on. The same rules we follow with respect to time management can be integrated with goal pursuit. The tendency is to spend time focusing on easier, short-term goals. What we should be doing, however, is constantly evaluating our time expenditure on all of our goals, and regularly recalibrating to ensure we first satisfy our highest priority goals.
Make Goal Pursuit Learning-Focused, Not Performance-Focused
Learning First, Performance Second. Focusing on objective outcomes is great. But sometimes we focus on the end-goal without considering how we get there. If the goal is relatively difficult, by definition, we don’t yet have all of the ingredients for achieving the goal. Thus, the focus should be on learning, not performing.
New Knowledge or Skills. It’s important to uncover what exactly we need to learn in order to obtain our goal. The first common category is knowledge, which entails the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. The second is skills, which entails proficiencies obtained through training or experience. Obtaining knowledge comes from asking the right questions from the right sources. Obtaining skills comes from seeking out opportunities to practice the behaviors of interest.
Breaking Down the Process. Efficient goal pursuit entails breaking down goals into sub-goals, steps, or components. Sub-goals are smaller goals that accumulate as a larger end-goal. Step-based goals work like a Gantt chart, showing you what you need to do first, second, third, etc. to progress towards the end-goal. Component-based goals have an interactive effect such that the end-goal will only be achieved if several components are simultaneously achieved.
Keep in mind that goal setting is important, but it will only take you so far. To achieve your goals in the New Year, it’s important to focus on the process of goal pursuit.
Visit www.scottdust.com for more free resources for human capital enthusiasts, including a free e-book titled “A Field Guide to Human Capital Assessments.”
You likely have reached a point at some time in your career when your team couldn’t agree on a solution, you reported to someone whose feedback felt outright harsh, or you didn’t feel heard by your co-workers. We likely all have, and may have thought, if they did everything like me, this wouldn’t be a problem. There would be no conflict in the office, decisions would be made faster, and we’d all arrive at the same solutions without outlandish ideas throwing us off track. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we all just thought exactly the same?
Actually…no. It wouldn’t. It would probably make things a lot harder. And a lot less exciting. The truth is, it would create the product or solution that works for people like you… and not for the other 99% of the world.
In these times, we see the situation all wrong, and as a “problem”, when it’s really an opportunity to leverage individual characteristics and unique traits to do something really great. All of the differences in how we think and communicate, how we’re motivated and lead, how we’re energized and triggered, and so many more, all make up cognitive diversity.
What is cognitive diversity?
This is not diversity based on age, gender, ethnicity, etc. It is the type of diversity that you can’t see. According to Harvard Business Review, “Cognitive diversity has been defined as differences in perspective or information processing styles.” Basically, everyone is different- the way we communicate, lead, process, what we are motivated and energized by, and so on. There is nothing wrong with these differences, they are what makes each of us so unique and valuable, and recognizing that is key to any team.
Why is it important?
Challenging and confusing as it can be, we need teammates to see things differently than we do. We need that person who slows us down to consider possible issues and that person who speeds us up to get something completed. We need the person who draws out ideas, and the person who tells us it’s time to stop talking and make a decision. The person who prioritizes relationships and the person who prioritizes hitting the numbers.
Recognizing and fostering an environment of understanding cognitive diversity is so important in the workplace because it gives you insight into how and why your people work the way they do. Knowing how your people prefer to work and applying this can improve your company culture, and lead to happier employees. Cognitive diversity allows for a variety of thinking, energy, motivation, and leadership styles that will lead to a dynamic, effective, and creative team.
How can you become more successful? Seek diversity and you will find more revenue, higher profitability, more innovation, more trust, and more engagement. Why? Well, according to this Harvard study, it’s actually strongly tied to things beneath the surface that we cannot see — cognitive diversity — the different ways of problem-solving, decision-making, working, and communicating. It is cognitively diverse teams that are the best at solving complex problems in the face of uncertainty.
At the end of the day, it’s these different perspectives that create the work we’re most proud of.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
According to Gallup®, “Only about one in three U.S. workers and 15% globally are engaged,” only one-third. Imagine that statistic representing your organization, maybe it does, kinda scary right? But let’s change that. It could be down to what kind of work your employee is doing when it might not be what they really prefer to do.
Take a look at the insight on the right. If Devon is feeling suffocated in her current tasks, it might be because she was given a project that does not allow her to try creative ideas, or she’s on a team that has a bureaucratic environment. But, Devon does not prefer either of these things, causing her to dread her work. Learning how your employees prefer to work might be the difference between them loving and hating what they do. And ultimately when your people love their work, they will likely be a lot more engaged.
PRODUCTIVITY
We are likely a lot more productive when doing work that leans into our strengths. And, this work will likely be more enjoyable because we are good at it. Take a look at the top strengths of the Cloverleaf team. The team members in Executing will likely work best in checking tasks off a list and getting things done and may feel energized by completing projects. Someone in Influencing might prefer to spend their time telling customers about their product and describing why it would be good for them. A relationship-building team member might be in tune with, well- exactly that! They foster connections in the office and welcoming on new staff, but this does not mean that they don’t like strategic thinking like someone in the top right. They just might be stronger and prefer to spend more time building relationships than analyzing or checking off to-dos.
With cognitive diversity, you will get a wide variety of strengths and viewpoints that will be beneficial and allow for balance and effectiveness. When your people work in areas that allow them to really exercise their strengths, they will likely feel more productive and be more valuable to the team.With cognitive diversity, you will get a wide variety of strengths and abilities that will be beneficial and allow for balance and effectiveness. When your people work in areas that allow them to really exercise their strengths, they will likely feel more productive and be more valuable to the team.
PROBLEM SOLVING
The more diverse your team is in thought, the more perspectives there will likely be, along with solutions to a problem. Harvard Business Review noted,
“There is a familiar saying: “We recruit in our own image…Colleagues gravitate toward the people who think and express themselves in a similar way…organizations often end up with like-minded teams…what psychologists call functional bias — and low cognitive diversity. Functional bias is a problem for teams facing new uncertain and complex situations because, with little cognitive diversity, the team will have limited ability to see things differently, engage in different ways…or create new options.”
Without different trains of thought analyzing a problem, a team might miss something huge that would have been seen if there was someone there with another perspective. Take a look at the Cloverleaf DISC circle. Imagine if the team was only made up of everyone in the Dominance quadrant. If the team was trying to solve a problem, there would probably be a lot of people with more “dominant” behaviors talking over each other and showing why their idea would work and is the solution. But if the team was comprised of those that fall in the Steadiness quadrant, they might not even speak up in fear of stepping on someone else’s toes, and a decision might not be made quickly enough.
None of these quadrants are right or wrong, but it is important to have a team pulling from each of these quadrants to have balanced effectiveness. Perhaps someone from the Steadiness quadrant organizes the meeting to prioritize diversity of thought, and then someone from Conscientiousness can write up the plans. A team member from Dominance will focus on accomplishing goals for whatever solution is reached, and a team member from Influence might talk to a customer about why this solution could help them.
So who thinks differently than you on your team? Let’s take a look! Here’s how:
- Head to your TEAM dashboard
- Look for someone in a different assessment section than you
- Click on their avatar to get insight into how they do their best work
- Take a screenshot of the first insight you see that’s different than you and strikes you as “spot on” that person
- Send them the screenshot, and say thanks for the perspective they bring to the team
It is so vital to have a diverse set of members on a team. If you have 10 of the same person, that will likely lead to a lot of conflict later on, whether it’s disengagement, dry ideas, or poor communication. Cognitive diversity, while not seen, cannot be ignored for a high-performing team.
Are you intrigued on how you can make this happen? Start here.
Whether you want to get a new client started out successfully, or continue to sustain your current clientele, it’s important to have the right coaching skills to help them thrive. Therefore, we want to help you in your effective coaching journey by providing a list of the do’s and don’ts of coaching in the workplace.
DO: ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
One of our best coaching tips is that asking “yes” and “no” questions will not lead anywhere. If your client does not expand on what they are saying, the conversation may end too quickly and provide no meaningful context to work off or toward goals.
Good example: Ask: what do you find challenging about that? This leaves the conversation open for your coachee to speak on challenges and to expand as much as possible. This also may draw out more than one answer.
Bad example: Ask: do you think that is challenging because of your schedule? Your client may respond yes or no and leave the conversation there. They also may feel as though you are leading them to an answer, causing them to answer favorably. This does not leave room for them to discover problems or solutions on their own.
DO: Build Trust
Without a solid foundation of trust, your client will likely not speak freely about issues and areas of improvement, which will have an impact on their well-being and overall job satisfaction.
Good example: During coaching conversations, be an active listener, ask questions, be empathetic, don’t judge, and focus on your client (meaning don’t get distracted – no one likes meeting with someone who gets distracted by everything in the background and doesn’t make eye contact).
Bad example: Don’t pry into their client’s personal life (unless they want to), and don’t socialize (this could be unprofessional and make you seem like you’re always available).
DO: KNOW THAT EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT
Every person may need to be coached in a slightly different way. This is a learning process. Remember to be flexible and to tailor your approach so you don’t scare them off or underwhelm them. Using Cloverleaf for Coaches as a tool will prepare you with their preferred style of work, communication, conflict, etc.
Good example: A good coach takes time to learn how new clients work, as they will likely all be different.
Bad example: Jump in with the same attitude every time, as this will be accepted differently by different clients.
DON’T: TELL THEM WHAT TO DO
You are not your client, so when they ask you what you would do, know how to change the direction, and act as a leader, don’t just give out directions.
Good example:
Client: “My manager told me to do x task, but that’s not in my job description, so I didn’t do it. Now we have a meeting on Monday. What would you do?”
Coach: “Well, let’s dive deeper into this first. Why do you feel…?”
Bad example:
Client: “My manager told me to do x task, but that’s not in my job description, so I didn’t do it. Now we have a meeting on Monday. What would you do?”
Coach: “I would have done…”
DON’T: TALK MORE THAN YOUR CLIENT DOES
Your coachee should never feel like they are in a lecture or being talked at. So make sure you are asking questions to guide the coaching sessions, but they should also be talking most of the time. Be an active listener and ask follow-up questions. This will allow them to be comfortable with you and reveal underlying issues they are having.
DON’T: TALK ABOUT CLIENTS WITHOUT PERMISSION
You should never be talking about Sally’s work issues with Ryan to mentor him on what he is going through, that’s not right. But, you can pull the same coaching tools from different experiences and use them across clients.
Keep in mind this serves solely as a methodology in your backpack. If a client goes through a certain issue that you feel would serve as a good example, ASK them for permission before you do. If they say no, respect their boundaries.
In summary, remember that to be a great coach you need to ask open-ended questions, build trust, and recognize that everyone is unique.
HELP YOUR LEADERS MOVE FROM A BOSS TO COACH!
Inside you'll learn:
- Strategies for developing essential leadership skills within your managers
- Best practices for communicating and coaching your team
- Insight for navigating conflict and change
- Practical ideas for enhancing teamwork and motivating team members
Where is your organization at in terms of employee engagement? Does your organization have a system for understanding workplace productivity? Answering these few questions may help you better understand where your organization is and explain how higher engagement between employees and managers can result in more employee productivity.
1. Communication Style: How does your organization tailor to different communication styles?
Whether someone responds better to a personal, collaborative style or a task-oriented, right-to-the-point attitude, a manager can tailor their communication to different people around them. According to The Economist, different communication styles are the most frequently cited cause of poor communication at 42%.
Download the Cloverleaf Assessment Guide
- A comprehensive list of the assessments that Cloverleaf offers
- Summary of each assessment and what insights you get
- Anticipated time commitments for each assessment
2. On a scale of 1 to 5, how productive is your business? 5 being maximum productivity and 1 being an unproductive business.
Forbes states that engaged teams have a 17% higher productivity rate than disengaged teams. Remember, productivity does not mean the same thing as time in the office. It is very possible to have a highly productive team that is not overworked or on the cusp of burnout.
3. Work Style: How does your company promote and leverage work-style diversity?
According to this HBR article, bringing different styles into a workspace can create productive friction which results in powerful collaborations that lead to a bump in workplace productivity. Tapping into employees’ different work styles is key whether a team member may be full of ideas and easily brainstorm, follow precise instructions with timelines and responsibilities, or look for opportunities to solve open-ended problems.
4. Motivation: On a scale of 1 to 5, how well are employees’ motivators understood by the organization?
When a manager knows what motivates each employee, they can better inspire performance. Statistically, however, Gallup® claims only 1 out of every 5 employees strongly agrees that their company’s system motivates them. Do you understand what motivates your team members?
5. Conflict Triggers: When was the last time a workplace conflict arose from personality clashes? A month? A day? A week?
As SHRM explains, conflict can be costly as U.S. employees spent 2.8 hours per week dealing with conflict and nearly 10% reported that workplace conflict led to project failure. These can affect the work environment and take away from your team’s productivity.
Whether you think you rated high or low on these questions, it is always good to do a quick check-in to see where you think improvements can be made inside an organization to increase productivity. At Cloverleaf, we believe that motivation, communication style, work style, and conflict triggers are critical to working well together as an organization. This is why we provide Insights focused on these areas. If you are interested in learning more about culture, productivity, and performance, read our research here.
HUMAN SKILL PROGRAMS ARE HITTING LIMITATIONS...
- Close the widening gap between learning and on-the-job application
- Overcome the tension of pausing productivity for development opportunities
- Integrate learning so it is actually in the flow of work
- The evolution of human skill development
- What Automated Coaching™ is and how it works.