5 Ways to Create a Productive Team for Your Business

No matter how good and productive your team is, there are always some ways that can be incorporated to take your workplace productivity to a whole new level. Before jumping into the depth of this exciting subject, let’s set the basic first in understanding what efficiency and productivity mean.

Efficiency is a level of performance that describes a process that only makes use of the least amount of inputs to generate the greatest amount of outputs.

Productivity, on the other hand, has to do with the average measure of efficiency achieved in the production. It is, in most cases, expressed as a ratio of the outputs to the inputs used in the production process.

So how do you create a productive team that is operating at the optimal potential for your business?

1. Define the Channels of Communication

Communication is the most integral element in making your team more productive. Businesses start a declining curve when there are no proper channels of communication.

In the absence of communication, miscommunication gets in and only breeds a whole lot of failure.

One of the greatest teams operating has one thing in common. They have established proper communication lines that are always open. When every one of your team members, regardless of their department, role, or position, is able to express themselves freely, your levels of productivity will only go higher.

Your business will thrive better if departments can work together and communicate to keep the main goal the main goal. Communication plays a vital role in helping the team members understand their job responsibilities and affirming them to seek clarity on any issue.

Communication gaps only lead to stemming up of multiple confusions within a team, which certainly affects the level of productivity a team operates in. Your overall team productivity is a result of the motivation of each member of that team.

You want each of your team members to consider your business a place where they love to work. As such, all your team members need to know they are being heard and respected for their talents.

2. Give your Team Members Ownership

To steer the productivity levels of your team, you must understand and appreciate the power of ownership. You need to give ownership to the team members.

It, therefore, means that you will be letting them make their own decisions and hold them accountable for their work.

When a team member knows that with regards to all their tasks the buck stops with them, they will be more accountable. It induces a sense of responsibility in them that inspires and encourages them to go a step farther beyond just doing their job.

An individual who owns what they do will perceive his work differently, and this is reflected in their commitment and decision making which impacts the performance level of the entire team.

If your team members wake up in the morning and say, “I’ve got to make my company more money,” then they have committed to the ownership of that business.

In their mind, it is no longer just a job they put up with for the pay, but in their mind, it’s their business too. So when putting up a productive team, you need to give ownership to your team members.

Your entire business comprises of one team, all working together towards achieving one goal.

Giving ownership could take the shape of asking a team member to lead a project or handle the responsibility of a task on an aspect of the project.

It shows that you have trusted your team members and their capabilities to handle a specific job. You will realize an amazing power in building the self-esteem of your team members as it translates to a productive team.

3. Know your Team Members’ Strengths and Weaknesses

Every one of your team members has unique talents and hidden gifts that can be put to good use to better your business by creating a more productive team. While allocating tasks, you need to keep in mind the strengths of your team members.

Knowing the skill-set of your team is the backbone of producing a productive team for your business.

A team member’s strength may be another’s point of weakness. So as you balance out the tasks, you should end up with each member focusing on their area of interest and strength.

Knowing that each member is making the best use of their knowledge, talents, and expertise to contribute to the overall goal will make them look forward to participating in the workplace.

Realizing what work should be delegated to a specific employee will boost your team’s productivity. It is determined by how well you know their abilities in the given area.

4. Get Out of the Way

Now that you have put up the best team and organized their projects and talents step aside and watch to be amazed by the expert team working seamlessly on their own.

It is best for you to step aside and allow your team space to put their best forward without your constant intervention.

Your lack of direct involvement so often will inspire confidence in your team members. It shows that you trust them to handle the job.

Especially now that you have handed them the ownership, their dynamic work together will make them more productive.

5. Incorporate Some Team Building Activities

A productive team entails different people working together on the same page. To achieve this, incorporate some team building activities to ensure all the team members get along with each other.

It will ensure that they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and this automatically makes the workplace a happier place.

Happiness emanating from within your team members will boost the team’s productivity and efficiency.

Conclusion

A productive team will translate into business productivity.

Create an environment that encourages your team members to work together, own the business, communicate effectively, and complement each other’s strengths.

Employ these five ways to create a productive team for your business and enjoy astounding performances and stay on the competitive edge!

About the Author

Eugen Spivak is a multi-award-winning author, business strategist, and a business coach. Eugen is the founder of the Canadian Institute of International Business, an organization focused on a better way to learn business!