Top 3 Ways A Manager Can Increase Productivity Within Their Team

As seen on Forbes.

With the economy still uncertain, many companies have gone on a trend of downsizing, preferring leaner teams not just to cut costs, but to maintain agility and flexibility in a dynamic marketplace. Unfortunately, this comes at a great cost to managers and their teams, who take on additional responsibilities to compensate for reduced team sizes.

While I would never condone making employees take on more responsibilities than they can handle, I believe there’s an argument to be made about the potential benefits of leaner teams when managed effectively. Here are four tips for managers who want to increase their team’s productivity.

1. Focus On the Why 

While compensation is still the biggest motivator for working people, research suggests that it’s no longer the only one that matters. 

According to Deloitte, Millennials and Gen Z, who together will comprise 75% of the workforce by 2025, both care about contributing to the greater good. They want to be part of something bigger than themselves, and this means understanding that there’s a greater purpose behind their work.

A lot of the time, just knowing how their output can contribute to the company’s bottom line is powerful enough as a motivation. This works because of our innate drive to understand the impact that we have on the people we work with — we want to know that we matter. 

So the next time you assign someone to complete a spreadsheet or build a presentation, let them know what it’s for and why it’s important that they do it well. This sense of purpose can transform even the most mundane tasks into meaningful contributions, creating a more positive and productive work environment.

2. Lean Into Your Team’s Strengths

All managers want their team to work like a well-oiled machine, capable of collaborating efficiently towards a common goal. But to achieve this kind of synergy, a manager first needs to understand their team at an individual level. 

Ideally, a manager should be given the chance to build their own team from scratch, whether by taking the lead in hiring new people or handpicking from existing staff. But for those coming in to lead a pre-existing group, it’s a good idea to take the extra mile to get to know each member thoroughly, from their technical skills down to their personality traits. 

Once you have this information, try to play to their strengths. For example, if you have a team member who struggles with public speaking but is very detail-oriented, don’t pressure them into taking the spotlight. Instead, have them build the presentation and pair them with someone who can confidently present their work to the team or external stakeholders. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t challenge your team members or refrain from putting them in situations where they can learn new skills. However, this should be done in a way that aligns with their unique strengths and interests. 

Rather than pushing team members into roles or tasks where they may struggle or feel uncomfortable, provide them with opportunities for growth that complement their existing strengths.

3. Check In, But Don’t Overdo It 

As a manager, you want to ensure that you and your team members are always on the same page. You want to check in and see if everything’s alright and whether your intervention is needed. 

Unfortunately, this desire sometimes causes managers to constantly push for updates. We often see managers hover to the point of micromanaging, which often results in manager burnout or, worse, dependent employees who can’t function without their supervisors telling them what to do. 

Instead, you should leave ample space for your team members to trust them to accomplish their tasks. Check in periodically to make sure that they’re progressing at a pace that works for you, but leave them to harness their own skills and creativity in doing their work. 

It’s particularly important to let them know that they can come to you for help. You want to be visible not just to ensure that they are doing what needs to be done, but to provide support whenever needed. 

I want to stress that this works only if you’ve communicated effectively what needs to be done at the beginning of the project. Ensure that they understand the results that you’re expecting when they need to be done, and what they can do to achieve those results. After that, give them space to do their job with minimal interruption. After all, they were hired to do a job, so let them. Good luck!