It is clear that to improve productivity during work or teleworking days, you need to organize your day. However, sometimes the days are not enough for you and the pending tasks accumulate. We understand you. Productivity must be a priority in your company, in your working day, from home or from the office. However, we understand that in recent times it has been a little more difficult to be productive in our professional activities; due to the social and personal changes that we have been experiencing during this new normality due to the Covid-19 health crisis, especially adapting to having the office permanently at home, adding to this the care of children and household responsibilities.
This is why we want to teach you a series of little-known and quite effective methods, proposed and verified by great professionals and business experts, which will help you improve your day-to-day productivity, transforming your teleworking day and motivating your professional development.
Personal Factors that Determine Productivity
The personal factors of productivity are those directly related to the worker, his personality and his professional and personal environment.
1. The training
Appropriate training for the job is crucial to ensure employee productivity. Make sure that your team has the knowledge (theoretical and practical) necessary to make the right decisions and use the tools or computer equipment that are required for the correct performance of their work activity. For this, it is very important that the selection of personnel tries to find a balance between people, their training and the position they hold.
2. The physical state
Productivity also depends on how fit people are. To carry out any task, it is necessary that the workers have a good diet, that they sleep enough hours, that they do not suffer from any disease or take drugs. If you want to maintain good health in your employees, provide them with an annual medical review that helps them take action if necessary.
3. Motivation
As important as physical health is mental health. Productivity will be higher if your team is motivated at work, something that is possible with a pleasant atmosphere in the office, with recognition and respect from superiors or with adequate contractual conditions. Make sure that this climate exists as far as possible, ensure team cohesion with fluid communication and exercise leadership based on empathy with your staff.
4. The commitment
The level of commitment to work also determines productivity. If a person identifies with the company they work for and sees their expectations rewarded, they are more likely to maintain a high commitment, which can translate, for example, into less absenteeism from work, greater punctuality and a greater sense of responsibility, also decisive factors for performance. Promotes the feeling of belonging with a company culture that shows closeness with the workers.
Organizational Factors that Influence Productivity
The organizational factors of productivity are those that are attributed to the company’s operating system and the decisions it makes in relation to its workers.
5. Leadership
Good leadership, based on trust and empathy, is decisive for productivity. If you are a leader who understands the needs and concerns of your team, who is capable of stimulating creativity and making decisions that positively influence others, you will be able to get the best out of each one and guarantee good performance at work. It is also your responsibility to keep the team motivated and to face problems with enthusiasm if you want to exercise optimal leadership.
6. Work planning
Planning work well means managing resources in an orderly manner, assigning tasks to the right people, and setting specific, achievable goals. One of the most important and often scarce resources is time, so if you want to achieve maximum productivity you must distribute work periods and breaks well so that your team performs in optimal conditions. You can also use specialized software tools that allow you to organize your work, saving time and guaranteeing the best results.
7. The work methodology
Productivity is also conditioned by the methodology used. If the work is divided by projects, you must analyze which methodology is the best for its characteristics. Some environments tend to use agile methodologies that allow some flexibility adapting to change, while others opt for more conservative methods that ensure greater understanding by all parties involved. Whatever it is, the methodology you choose should guarantee productivity and the best possible results.
8. Remuneration and incentives
In some way, the rewards must take into account the performance and individual characteristics of the workers to guarantee their productivity. Personalize them as much as you can by linking them to performance and goals. Also check the fairness of this system, since it is always better for the worker to perceive it in order to cooperate with the company and be more productive. As we have already mentioned to you previously in this blog, flexible remuneration is an option to take into account.
9. The space and the environment
It is well known that the conditions of the workspace are linked to productivity. It provides an adequate space for the needs with good lighting, noise level and visual order to make the working day more bearable. Plan changes of location from time to time and, above all, also take care of the environment with activities and extra-work meetings to generate a good climate among employees.
10. The risk of accidents
Finally, minimizing the risk of accidents at work is something that you must take into account to guarantee comfort and good working conditions. This will obviously influence performance.
Tips for Creating a Productive Workplace
A workplace that is suitable for us will influence our motivation, optimism and productivity, something so necessary in the times we live in.
Having our own workplace that we can design to our liking will help us feel more satisfied and, consequently, be more productive in our work. Therefore, by following these simple tips we will be able to create a productive workplace.
1. Find a perfect secluded spot
The place in the house where we work should only be for work, and we should not use the rest (room, dining room, etc.) for it. Keeping spaces separate will help us define the boundaries between work and life at home.
In addition, we must ensure that the space we choose will allow us to isolate ourselves and avoid unnecessary needs. This will help us reinforce the idea that we cannot be disturbed during the working day for the rest of the members of the family unit.
2. Make sure the lighting is adequate
It is important that the workplace we use has good lighting. Ideally, the table should be as close as possible to a natural source of light.
In the event that we do not have natural light within our reach, we must ensure that the lighting distribution is correct for working. Poor lighting in closed spaces not only affects the environment, but also becomes the main enemy for our eyesight as it can cause eye fatigue, tiredness and headaches.
3. Have all the tools at hand
Having a large desk that allows us to have all our offline work tools at hand (schedule, documents, etc.) and, at the same time, having a well-organized computer will make our day-to-day life easier.
Take your time to determine which tools help you the most and how you can arrange them in your space so that you have easy access to them.
4. Use a comfortable chair
The chair is the most important element in our workplace; We will spend many hours sitting, so choosing a good chair will help us avoid back pain, knee pain, etc.
Having an adjustable chair, with an adjustable backrest and armrests will help us to be more comfortable and maintain a proper position for a long time.
5. Maintain order and cleanliness
Each person is a world and what for one is an unbearable disorder, for another it can mean having things at hand. However, there are some basic rules that must be common to all: keep only the necessary things, make sure that the workplace is always clean and keep the walls as clear as possible.
These three simple rules will help us feel less overwhelmed, saturated and uncomfortable and will prevent us from feeling visual rejection every time we enter our workplace.
6. Make sure it has good air conditioning and ventilation
Temperature changes influence concentration and performance levels, so keeping our workplace warm will help us be more comfortable and maintain our productivity.
The high CO2 levels that can occur in closed and poorly ventilated spaces can cause fatigue and drowsiness. To combat it, it is important that we ventilate the space properly and try to let natural air in, whenever possible.
7. Introduce vegetation
There are studies that show that people are more productive if they have plants nearby. Having strategically placed houseplants provides better air quality and helps us reduce stress levels and recover from demanding activities. In addition to being pleasing to the eye and decorating the space.
8. Personalize your space
This does not mean that you have to have photographs in all the free spaces of your office. Hanging posters or paintings that motivate or relax you will help you feel more positive and ready to work.
9. Use scents
It may seem strange, but aromas can help improve our productivity. Using essential oils, scented candles or incense can help us feel better and give us peace of mind.
For example, the aroma of cinnamon will help us combat mental fatigue. The scent of lavender calms stress and nerves. Rosemary is used to improve concentration. And grapefruit creates energy in the environment and drives us to be more active.
10. Avoid noise
Our workplace should be quiet, relaxed and avoid noisy areas that affect our concentration. It is best to avoid working in spaces with the television or radio on, as it is inevitable that it will distract us.
If we need extra concentration we can use music as a resource. Many professionals turn to it to increase their productivity. It is best to use ambient or classical music. It will help us reduce our stress and anxiety levels, as well as favor reasoning and concentration.
Another element that generates noise and is one of the main sources of distraction is the mobile phone. If our attention is continuously interrupted, our brain gets more tired since we are asking it to constantly change its focus of attention (it cannot do two things at the same time) and it requires a greater amount of energy resources.