Working from home can certainly be strange if you’re usually surrounded by the buzz of an office environment and not distracted by Netflix, Facebook, that DIY project or bored children.
As we continue to work from home, business owners need to ensure their team aren’t overrun by distractions and can work productively. We’ve seen some employers use techniques for tracking and increasing productivity that have quickly put people offside, so we thought we’d share some more successful approaches.
Implement new KPIs
As much as we’d love to be able to tell you that it’s business as usual when working from home, it’s a bit much to expect your staff to operate on the same level. So, re-evaluating KPIs and adding new ones that will support your team’s productivity is a good idea.
These can include things like:
- Replying to emails within a set time frame
- Reaching out to a certain number of clients each day
- Spending 30 mins every day catching up with the entire team via video chat
- Produce a target number of proposals or documents
Trial time tracking software
We’ve been using a time-tracking product within our team at Zeno IT and have already seen some great results. We chose TimeDoctor, which measures activities and the time spent on things such as emails, phone calls with clients and project work.
The data helps us properly allocate time in our day and makes sure every task is getting done. There are plenty of options available. Hubstaff, RescueTime, Harvest and TimeCamp all have different features, so you can choose an option that’s right for you.
Time tracking comes into its own when offering guidance on which tasks need the most attention. They help improve workflow and are a great communication tool, allowing you to quickly see what’s being worked on without needing lengthy emails or Zoom meetings.
Set rough timeframes for tasks
Giving your staff estimated timeframes to spend on each task helps to add a little routine to their day and can act as motivation to get tasks and projects finished within the timeline. This can include things like spending 30 mins replying to emails at the beginning of the day, then having one to two hours dedicated to their current project, a team video chat at 12:30 and two hours in the afternoon for another task.
Not only will you find that you’re easily able to track productivity, but your team will also feel more in control of their day.
Get collaborative with online tools
We’ve already seen how quickly businesses are adapting to using Zoom meetings to stay in touch with both their team and their clients. Beyond that, there are plenty of other ways to keep in touch without having to take much time out.
Cloud-based software such as Microsoft Teams, Trello and Slack are all fantastic ways to collaborate, share updates, send files and keep on top of all projects. They definitely beat sending 100s of emails, which clog up inboxes and remove any sense of connectivity.
Create a digital to-do list
It only takes a small amount of time to prepare a to-do list for each of your team, and it will ensure that they’re able to focus on the most critical tasks. It’s also very satisfying for your team to check things off one-by-one.
There are some great apps that work on laptops or desktops, or you can create a simple one in Google Sheets.
Trial and error and patience are the most important considerations, so don’t be disheartened if one approach doesn’t work for your team.
If you’re looking for any support implementing some new software or programs that will help your team, please reach out. We can work together to improve your team’s productivity.
Give us a call on 1300 559 366.
