Your team’s productivity is slipping. How can you get everyone back on track?

To boost your team's productivity, start by identifying the root causes of the downturn. Assess whether issues like unclear goals, insufficient motivation, lack of feedback, or inadequate resources are at play. Consider both external factors like market shifts or customer demands and internal challenges such as team conflict, burnout, or skill deficiencies. Engage with your team to gather insights and feedback. Understanding these underlying issues is crucial for developing targeted strategies to enhance productivity and team performance.

Another approach is to ensure that the work scheduled fits with the different expertise available within the team. This can help prevent overloading team members with tasks that are not within their skill set It’s also important to track progress and resolve issues as they arise. This can be done by scheduling the work into individual teams, tracking high-level progress, and re-balancing work across teams as required Conducting regular retrospectives can also help identify areas for improvement. During these meetings, team members can discuss what went well and what could be improved, and come up with an action plan for moving forward

Before scheduling 1:1's with members of your team & rolling out a predictable (and often ineffective) series of pep-talks, pause.. breathe.. and zoom out: How has your team's performance tracked historically? How were you all performing at this time last year? Where does the moral of the collective organization currently stand? How are you doing, yourself, as a person? Are you prioritizing self-care throughout your week? Perhaps, by reflecting on one or more of these questions you will uncover forces that are currently at play, which are acting on you and/or your team. Be kind to yourself and be kind to the people that make up your team. PIP's don't work. Taking the road less traveled might just yield the best dividends in the long-run.

Pinpointing the underlying reasons for a team's productivity challenges ultimately boils down to effective communication. This pattern has been evident in the numerous teams I've either been a part of or consulted on. The primary issue often lies in managerial communication. There's a tendency among managers to believe that instilling a sense of fear will motivate the team to improve or that highlighting challenges will automatically lead to solutions. It's crucial to consider both how and what we communicate to our teams. Fostering open communication, actively listening, and seeking collaborative solutions rather than placing blame are essential elements for moving forward successfully.

Goals give us direction, purpose, and a sense of accomplishment when we achieve them. They help us focus our efforts and resources, and keep us motivated to keep pushing forward. Without clear goals, we can easily get lost in the day-to-day tasks and lose sight of our long-term vision. Setting clear goals also helps us prioritize our time and energy. When we have a clear idea of what we want to achieve, we can focus our attention on the tasks and activities that will bring us closer to our goals. This helps us minimize distractions and avoid wasting time on things that don't matter.

To address slipping productivity, the team can employ a structured approach to goal-setting. Firstly, they should assess current performance and identify specific areas for improvement collaboratively. Then, they can set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) that align with the team's objectives. Regular check-ins and feedback loops will help ensure progress and make necessary adjustments. Encouraging open communication and fostering a supportive environment are also crucial for maintaining motivation and accountability. By setting clear, realistic goals and fostering teamwork, the team can regain momentum and achieve success.

The objectives should be BOLD. The majority of them should motivate the team to accomplish more. However, it does not imply that they are unrealistic. Nevertheless, if you find yourself hitting 100% success each quarter, then it is probably that you require a higher level of ambition. Furthermore, connecting them to the organization's goals is crucial in order to maintain alignment.

Feedback is an essential part of the learning cycle. Leaders can foster a culture where feedback is welcomed first by asking for feedback for themselves. Creating a space for vulnerability and self reflection aids tremendously in growth for teams. Feedback should also not be general, but rather tied to specific scenarios and examples. If you are struggling to get feedback from team members or leaders, try asking for advice instead. Ask them what would they have done in a particular situation. Feedback is so powerful. Ask for it frequently, and give it intentionally.

To build a strong and effective team, start by identifying the skills and strengths of each team member. This will help you to assign tasks and responsibilities more effectively. You should also encourage open communication and collaboration among team members. This will help to build trust and a sense of camaraderie that will help to drive success. It's also important to recognize and reward your team's successes. By celebrating achievements and milestones along the way, you can help to keep your team motivated and committed to the vision.

I'm a big believer of the GROW model. But this only works if parties are willing to have an open and honest conversation. The conversation must be based in reality in order to come up with practical options for the team member to see, and then, goals and action plans can be set accordingly. The key therefore is to create a mutual environment of trust and respect so that these conversations can take place in a constructive way. The manager should then embody or learn the art of coaching as that is the best way to manage the process going forwards, and to get the best growth out of the employee under the GROW framework

At Freelancer Club, we've invested a lot of time in developing our company culture. From the job brief to the onboarding stage, communication styles and hierarchical structures, culture is driven by your team - collectively. Provided you've set the foundations correctly (ideally in collaboration with a diverse group of trusted teammates), there should be room for adaptation and growth as the company evolves.

A culture based on trust is essential to solve any problem effectively. It is crucial to identify the root cause of the issue promptly, but without trust, team members may not be forthcoming in sharing the details. Conversely, when the team feels supported and can trust one another, they are more likely to be honest about challenges they are facing. Trust reduces the need for team members to be defensive, as they know that their colleagues will help resolve the issue instead of judging them. When there is trust, failures become valuable learning experiences rather than something to hide.

What people actually want is recognition. No matter how high you go no one is immune from that. It's human nature. I was recently reminded of that by one of my senior leaders and it was a good reminder as sometimes we are so busy we forget to give positive affirmation or to give a little praise! Let's create a culture of design, not a culture of default. And that starts at the top, as great people work for great leaders. Thereafter putting into place the right culture will keep the team motivated and productive.

To boost team productivity, foster open communication to understand challenges and provide support where needed. Set clear goals and priorities to align everyone's efforts. Encourage collaboration and empower team members to take ownership of tasks. Offer regular feedback and recognition to motivate and keep morale high. Implement effective time management strategies and tools to streamline workflows. Finally, lead by example and demonstrate a strong work ethic to inspire the team to excel.

Consider the difference between productivity and motivation. They often get confused. Productivity is about efficiently and quickly completing something. Motivation is the drive or desire to complete it. Lack of motivation is often the root cause of productivity issues.

Here are a few steps to create a winning team in stages; ✔️Hire people with skills and attitude ✔️ Harness the strengths and work on the team’s shortcomings ✔️ Build a culture where everyone complements each other ✔️ Delegate to the right person and entrust with responsibility ✔️ Promote diversity and inclusion, where every voice is heard and respected ✔️ Promote a culture of feedback and effective communication ✔️ Show confidence in your team and get out of their way ✔️ Build connections not barriers Building a strong team is similar to laying foundations of a skyscraper. The more solid is the base, the higher you could go.