Typically, advice about increasing business productivity revolves around automation, streamlining processes and time management, yes these strategies certainly play an important role. But thinking outside the box may unlock even greater levels of efficiency and effectiveness for your organization. If you want to change up how your business reaches its goals, here are a few unconventional yet lesser-known productivity strategies sure to make a difference in productivity levels.
Ditch Long Meetings for Power Huddles
Have you ever found yourself sitting through meetings and wondering, “Couldn’t this have been an email instead?” Meetings often consume too much of our precious time, why not substitute them with quick, focused “power huddles”? These 10-15-minute stand-up meetings ensure everyone stays on the same page without lengthy back and forth debate. Using standing instead of sitting may also encourage brevity as no one enjoys prolonged discussions when standing.
Consider Renting a Small Warehouse Space
Choosing a small warehouse space for rent can significantly boost your business’s efficiency. By creating a dedicated area for storage, inventory management or order fulfillment purposes, a dedicated warehouse space helps eliminate clutter while streamlining operations. Less time searching for items is spent and the overall process is enhanced by improved workflow. These cost-effective spaces enable companies to use savings towards growth opportunities while simultaneously making your daily processes smoother and more productive than ever.
Adopt a “Reverse Mentorship” Program
Mentorship programs have become an industry standard, but turning their concept on its head can provide a key source of innovation and productivity. Reverse mentoring pairs seasoned team members with less experienced, less senior members that bring new perspectives and tech know-how. Creating mutual learning, breaking down generational silos, and often leading to quicker solutions for business issues.
Turn Monotony into Micro-Adventures
Monotony can zap creativity and productivity, so give your team real “microadventures.” These could range from changing up work environments (adding “Work from a Cafe Thursday”) or hosting mini creative challenges like brainstorming campaign ideas with random prompts. Anything to break the monotony and provide fresh perspectives that result in better output quality overall.
Use Gamification to Make Work More Enjoyable
Gamified elements can add fun and excitement to mundane tasks. Consider creating leaderboards for team goals, rewarding points for completed milestones or hosting friendly competitions with prizes for the highest-performing teams. This not only creates an opportunity for achievement but also helps form healthy competition that makes even tedious work more engaging and enjoyable.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko
Stop Multitasking. Yes, Really.
Multitasking may seem like the pinnacle of productivity, but in reality it often results in subpar work and diminished focus. Encourage mono-tasking within your company by encouraging team members to focus solely on one task at a time. Time-blocking or the Pomodoro Technique are tools which can create environments which prioritize depth over breadth.
Photo by Vlada Karpovich
Productivity doesn’t need to come from using the same tried-and-true approaches that everyone else does. By exploring unconventional strategies like reverse mentorship and gamification you can add energy and excitement into your business processes and energize your team. Sometimes stepping outside your usual playbook and trying something unexpected is the best way to tackle a challenge. After all, highly productive businesses tend to embrace change without being afraid of breaking rules.
Typically, advice about increasing business productivity revolves around automation, streamlining processes and time management, yes these strategies certainly play an important role. But thinking outside the box may unlock even greater levels of efficiency and effectiveness for your organization. If you want to change up how your business reaches its goals, here are a few unconventional yet lesser-known productivity strategies sure to make a difference in productivity levels.
Ditch Long Meetings for Power Huddles
Have you ever found yourself sitting through meetings and wondering, “Couldn’t this have been an email instead?” Meetings often consume too much of our precious time, why not substitute them with quick, focused “power huddles”? These 10-15-minute stand-up meetings ensure everyone stays on the same page without lengthy back and forth debate. Using standing instead of sitting may also encourage brevity as no one enjoys prolonged discussions when standing.
Consider Renting a Small Warehouse Space
Choosing a small warehouse space for rent can significantly boost your business’s efficiency. By creating a dedicated area for storage, inventory management or order fulfillment purposes, a dedicated warehouse space helps eliminate clutter while streamlining operations. Less time searching for items is spent and the overall process is enhanced by improved workflow. These cost-effective spaces enable companies to use savings towards growth opportunities while simultaneously making your daily processes smoother and more productive than ever.
Adopt a “Reverse Mentorship” Program
Mentorship programs have become an industry standard, but turning their concept on its head can provide a key source of innovation and productivity. Reverse mentoring pairs seasoned team members with less experienced, less senior members that bring new perspectives and tech know-how. Creating mutual learning, breaking down generational silos, and often leading to quicker solutions for business issues.
Turn Monotony into Micro-Adventures
Monotony can zap creativity and productivity, so give your team real “microadventures.” These could range from changing up work environments (adding “Work from a Cafe Thursday”) or hosting mini creative challenges like brainstorming campaign ideas with random prompts. Anything to break the monotony and provide fresh perspectives that result in better output quality overall.
Use Gamification to Make Work More Enjoyable
Gamified elements can add fun and excitement to mundane tasks. Consider creating leaderboards for team goals, rewarding points for completed milestones or hosting friendly competitions with prizes for the highest-performing teams. This not only creates an opportunity for achievement but also helps form healthy competition that makes even tedious work more engaging and enjoyable.
Stop Multitasking. Yes, Really.
Multitasking may seem like the pinnacle of productivity, but in reality it often results in subpar work and diminished focus. Encourage mono-tasking within your company by encouraging team members to focus solely on one task at a time. Time-blocking or the Pomodoro Technique are tools which can create environments which prioritize depth over breadth.
Productivity doesn’t need to come from using the same tried-and-true approaches that everyone else does. By exploring unconventional strategies like reverse mentorship and gamification you can add energy and excitement into your business processes and energize your team. Sometimes stepping outside your usual playbook and trying something unexpected is the best way to tackle a challenge. After all, highly productive businesses tend to embrace change without being afraid of breaking rules.
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