Chances are your staff is being asked to step up and do more with less right now. This added pressure — combined with a lack of raises or bonuses — can really take a toll on employees’ productivity.
To prevent a huge productivity drop-off as year-end approaches, try these proven boosters:
Keep layoff concerns at bay. Many employees are worried about keeping their jobs — especially if they’ve witnessed some cuts already — which makes it harder for them to work to full potential. As much as you can, assure people that their jobs are safe. If you can’t, hold regular meetings and give employees an honest assessment of what’s going on within the company.
Provide increased support and let them prioritize their workloads. If you have no choice but to give employees much heavier workloads, then it’s vital to provide them with more support, too. Some ways to accomplish this: Manage employees with more of a hands-off style, allow them to postpone some of the less-urgent jobs, and give them the freedom to prioritize their duties accordingly.
Give them leadership opportunities. Perhaps the single most effective way to boost employees’ productivity is to let them take the reigns more often. When employees have a more personal stake in a certain project or task (running the monthly budget meeting, etc.), productivity almost always improves.
Another idea: Letting workers post info about the company of social networks like Twitter or Facebook can increase employees’ connection to the company — and help with marketing, as well.
For more great productivity-increasing tips, check out the full Wall Street Journal article right here.