A 2017 study from the UK found that in an 8 hour work day, the average office worker was only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes. It is a scary, but often realistic statistic. It can be especially scary for entrepreneurs whose company depends on team members that are fast, efficient, and hard working. Fortunately, all hope is not lost. According to the Workplace Research Foundation, team members who were highly engaged were nearly 40% more likely to have above average levels of productivity. So how do we get your team members to a place where they are considered “highly engaged”? Here are a few of my best strategies:
Cross-Train Your team
There’s a quote I love from Tamara Mellon about working in the fashion industry. She says “When someone asks about a career in fashion, I say start at the bottom. If you want to start a company, you have to know it from the ground up.” It’s so true – and it applies to your team as well. If you want your team to be engaged, they need to understand your company from the ground up. That means understanding what everyone does, and how each position works together to move the company forward. Job shadowing and cross-training are excellent for so many reasons. They give your team an opportunity to interact, build relationships, and learn from one another. But it’s a great way to deepen understanding and commitment to your company. It can also identify solutions or opportunities for improvement by exposing more people to how the “machine” of your company operates.
Office Culture
This one might seem obvious, but it’s almost always a key factor in determining team engagement. If you aren’t putting effort into developing your corporate culture – stop reading this and start right this second. The aspects of culture that impact team engagement are things like safe and open communication clearly communicated performance management plans, opportunities for 360-degree feedback, and meaningful recognition of team time and effort. More important than all of that is having an office culture that is value-driven. I’m not just talking about the values that you have decided on, but also about the values that your team members bring to your company. Knowing what your team values is absolutely crucial when it comes to building engagement, and ultimately getting “more” out of your team.
Encourage Innovation
After recognizing what values your team brings to your company, the next step is to let them run with those values and this will result in innovation that will flourish throughout your company. When team members are part of that process, they will be much more engaged and committed to making a difference for your company. Challenge your team members to innovate – both within and outside the company. Are there ways to improve processes? Are there complementary products or opportunities that you may be missing? Is there something happening in the market or tech space that you should be paying attention to? By giving your team the freedom to both ask and answer these questions, you will become a much stronger team. More than anything else, getting the most out of your team members is about two things: 1) creating opportunities and 2) listening. If you can do these things well, not only will you have team members working more than 2 hours and 53 minutes a day; but a team ready to take your company to the next level.