Steps to building an effective, happy & productive team
Truth is, we all want to increase our productivity. But the challenge is, how do we do it? Getting the most out of your Not For Profit organization can be daunting, but these strategies can help.
Internal Communication Tools
First things first, you need to understand your team members and how they interact with one another. Whether it be through tools, feedback loops, happy hours, or meetings; a leader should always know how their team likes to work.
When you understand how your team likes to communicate, you can implement tools to help you automate some of the communication with project management software.
Think about it, how do you intend to lead a successful team, especially when your workforce quickly expands from 10 to 50, to 100+. How would you plan to stay connected?
Getting on board with the right tools is crucial. Implementing a software such as ShareVision's Case Management Software can help. Click here for a free demo.
Create and Communicate Performance Standards
According to McKinsey Global Institute, when employees are connected, their productivity is expected to increase by 20% to 25%.
Communication standards or team norms will help your team connect.
These standards set the rules as to how team members are supposed to interact with internal and external stakeholders. The best way to set standards for team communication is to develop and communicate them early on - in the first on boarding meeting. More important, the key to success is continue embodying this standard and to ask for feedback.
To boost team’s productivity, it is essential to develop communication rules and standards that guide team members as to what they are expected to do; as well as, how and when they should communicate.
Make this a collaborative joint effort. Your team should work on the standards of communication together, starting with a meeting, taking in ideas for how to improve, and then creating standards that you’ll revisit and re-evaluate over time.
Passion
When building company culture, communication and productivity will naturally increase when 'like-minded' individuals are within the organization. What we mean by this is having people who share the same passion of helping other people. More and more, people want to have a job or provide a service that really matters to them.
There will always be challenges within Not For Profit organizations, but this makes our jobs interesting. One of the most important things you can do is ensure your organizational software is up to speed and allows for the following:
- Your client files are organized in one online location that can be accessed anywhere
- Client forms and information are easily trackable and associated with the correct client
- Managing services for everything your organization offers
- Ensuring everyone in your organization can easily access client information necessary for them to perform their job
- Tracking, reporting & notifications
- Super strong security to avoid your system being hacked
Limit Distractions and Provide a Workable Environment
Workplace interruption is one of the biggest hurdles for productivity. Let's face it, within many organizations it is not an option to have uninterrupted time.
Here are a few suggestions to limit interruptions:
- Encourage use of the calendar. If someone needs an uninterrupted hour, make sure they block the hour off on their calendar
- Use a communication tool to communicate with the team. Ask your teams to communicate via chat or email during office hours. Useful Tip: Use the Do Not Disturb status
- Create an “Interruption-Free Zone.” Anyone who needs privacy and doesn’t want to be interrupted should go to the Interruption-Free Zone. Designate a ‘privacy room’ for employees if they don’t have their own office or close the door if you have an office.
By using these strategies, you’ll improve the productivity level of your team immediately. The advantage in creating a more productive team will be the time they have for the clients you serve.