Bureaucracy can dampen our team members’ productivity and employee experience. From long meetings that ramble on with no clear outcomes or agenda to requiring team members to work in the office full time, even if their responsibilities do not require it, eliminating these time wasters can be an easy way to increase your team’s productivity.
Contrary to some well known CEOs’ recent public railings against flexible work arrangements, the evidence shows that remote workers have been equally or even more productive. And many workers do like coming into the office - but not every day.
Not everyone works the same way. Not everyone works best in a traditional work environment. Not everyone has the same challenges and circumstances, such as the need for child care or coordinating school schedules. Not everyone who may want to work for your organization lives in the surrounding areas; and thus you may be limiting your talent pool.
If we are a human first organization, then shouldn’t we champion ways to help our people be more productive and still maintain a beneficial work experience for them?
Shouldn’t we champion ways to help our people be more productive and still maintain a beneficial work experience for them?
Listen: Adam Grant talks about the do’s and don’ts of returning to the office in a recent podcast, including why interdependency is an important factor, why managers must over-communicate, and why it’s necessary to establish the rules of engagement. Read: Having autonomy over their schedules is a key reason as to why employees liked a remote work arrangement. While the concept of a hybrid work arrangement seems like the best of both worlds, in practicality, it’s often not being done well, says Fast Company. It’s integral to think and rethink the policies and guidelines behind your hybrid work arrangements. Explore:Who hasn’t had days that are filled with endless meetings? And when a good portion of them ramble on with no clear outcomes, without any focused agendas, filled with team members that have no discernible reason for being there, your team’s productivity will be affected. The key is to intentionally design your meetings. Here’s a tool to help you lead a more productive meeting.
Cheers,
Aaron
