Boosting Employee Productivity

Most companies focus the bulk of their bonus programs on top-level executives, but money is motivating for everyone, not just the C-suite. There are a number of ways to tie reasonable financial incentives to the work of employees throughout the organization. Key Takeaway: Consider ways that you could incent your employees to bigger performance outcomes.

Feedback is key for employees to adjust their performance to the needs of the organization. Too many companies bemoan the habits of their employees without actually having regular conversations about expectations and performance. Key Takeaway: Keep a “feedback journal,” by employee, to ensure that you are providing this key engagement-booster regularly.

Employees who feel like they are respected by their boss and the organization are often more willing to go above and beyond when needed. If the climate in your organization is one of command and control respect may be sorely lacking. Key Takeaway: Conduct a respect audit. Even subtle forms of disrespect can be damaging. Make sure your organization is a respectful one.

Much of the leadership training provided in organizations is focused at the top. Certainly, top executives can benefit from increased training, but lower and mid-level managers, who are often relatively young and new to personnel management, can also benefit. They are, after all, the chief point of contact for your staff members. Key Takeaway: Assess the management skills of your front-line leaders and plan for training options to fill identified gaps in management ability.

A manager can often make a big difference for an employee’s productivity with relatively little effort simply by listening to the employee’s problems and lending support. This could be in the form of new equipment or training, or the resolution of an impasse with another coworker or department. Key Takeaway: Don’t know what your employees need from your organization and their managers? Ask them!

Most employees want to know when they’ve done a good job. It doesn’t hurt to tell them when you feel like they’ve succeeded or accomplished an important task. In fact, it can help—significantly! Lipman actually cites a study that suggests recognition can be a stronger motivator than money, based on a survey of 1,200 workers. Key Takeaway: Considering the type of work your organization does, implement formal ways of recognizing employee accomplishments that support business objectives through recognition.

Top management are, necessarily, high-profile within an organization. What they say and do is influential throughout the organization, whether they are trying to set standards of conduct or not. Employees who see behavior they respect out of their leaders will be more motivated and more productive than if they observe senior management doing something they don’t respect. Key Takeaway: Walk the talk!