{"id":40971,"date":"2020-10-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/simple-steps-to-boost-your-teams-productivity\/"},"modified":"2025-07-03T03:36:40","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T10:36:40","slug":"how-to-increase-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/how-to-increase-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"How to increase productivity: 4 ways to give your team a boost"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you\u2019re running a small business, every moment matters. Whether you\u2019re going toe-to-toe with industry titans or trying to carve out your own niche, you have a limited number of hours each week, month, and year to make your business as successful as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each employee has, on average, 2,000 hours each year to spend helping you achieve your goals, whether that\u2019s bringing a new product to market or expanding your locations. Are you equipping them with the tools and processes they need to get the most out of those hours?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And with more teams adopting an entirely remote workforce, the number of distractions each employee faces during their workday is pretty high. From needing to share their workspace with their children or roommates to just suffering from burnout, outside forces can make it difficult to stay focused and productive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it\u2019s not possible to eliminate every distraction, you can implement some policies, tools, and processes that help your team reach their maximum potential. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this post, you\u2019ll learn about:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#what\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does a productive team look like?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#two\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s stopping your team from being productive?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#how\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How you can make your team more productive<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Looking to improve productivity? Team messaging apps can be a big, easy win. Grab the free checklist to help you choose the right messaging platform for your business.<\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-widget standart-download-form\" data-url=\"https:\/\/netstorage.ringcentral.com\/documents\/team_messaging_platform_checklist.pdf\" data-id=\"69d0e5d60540b\" id=\"69d0e5d60540b\">\n\t\t<button tabindex=\"on\"  on=\"tap:69d0e5d60540b.toggleClass(class='open')\" class=\"open-modal-download-action download-form-button\" type=\"submit\">\ud83c\udf1f Get it now<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-body\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-content\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-title\">See what you need to do (and know) as you're deciding on a team messaging app with this checklist!<\/div>\n<form class=\"download-form SMB\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Full Name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"text\" name=\"fullname\" placeholder=\"Full Name\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"text\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"email\" autocomplete=\"on\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"email\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"popup_form\" value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Asset_ID__c\" value=\"ODAM-01511\" class=\"download-form-input\"><\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Lead_Entry_Source__c\" value=\"RC Blog\" class=\"download-form-input\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"download-form-submit\" type=\"submit\" data-dl-element=\"button\" data-no-auto-dl=\"true\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\" data-dl-name=\"Get it now\">Get it now<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<button on=\"tap:69d0e5d60540b.toggleClass(class='open')\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"  class=\"download-form-modal-close\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-thank\">Happy shopping! <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top: 20px;\"><strong><a id=\"what\"><\/a><br \/>\nWhat does a productive team look like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the workforce was mostly made up of manufacturing, industrial, and agricultural workers, measuring employee output was easy\u2014you could just look at the number of units produced or bushels harvested, and BOOM\u2026 you had a tangible measure of employee productivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But as the economy has shifted to a mostly knowledge-driven workforce, the definition of employee \u201cproductivity\u201d has become more, well, ephemeral. A well-known example looks at developed teams being measured by the number of lines of code they produced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sounds like it makes sense, but what if teams decided to inflate the number of lines they deploy to a product? Does that end result actually make the final product better, or would productivity be better measured by finding the way to deploy with the least number of lines required? We\u2019re leaning towards the latter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, a productive team isn\u2019t necessarily the team that does the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">most<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> work\u2014but rather, the team that can accomplish the most while being efficient with time and resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get your team from unproductive to productive, let\u2019s look at what high-performing teams look like.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/remote-work-playbook.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42323\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/remote-work-playbook.png\" alt=\"remote-work-playbook\" width=\"1024\" height=\"364\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><strong><a id=\"two\"><\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s stopping your team from being productive?<\/span><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When talking about productivity, we often only look at ways to get more done. While implementing new tools or processes to boost productivity is a great place to start, it\u2019s not always enough.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If something is standing in the way of your team\u2019s productivity, you need to clear the path. Let\u2019s look at some of the biggest culprits damaging your team\u2019s efficiency before we get into what you can do to tackle them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Poor collaboration\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve ever been a part of a team with poor communication skills, you\u2019ve probably experienced this before. Your team has a project to work on, and while you assume someone else is tackling the first few tasks, they assume you\u2019ve got it handled. The due date comes and\u2026 nothing. You\u2019re left scrambling to deliver something.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is more than just a lack of motivation. Your team wasn\u2019t able to get the job done because you didn\u2019t effectively communicate and collaborate on tasks or projects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Unnecessary meetings\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meetings that could have been an email (or an instant message) hurt our productivity twofold. First, time spent sitting in unnecessary meetings means less time spent on projects that really need attention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meetings scheduled throughout the day also hurt productivity by making us constantly shift gears throughout the day, preventing us from getting in a flow of actually getting things done. We\u2019re starting and stopping, finishing a few minutes\u2019 worth of tasks between meetings whenever we can.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Burnout\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Burnout is an \u201coccupational phenomenon\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/mental_health\/evidence\/burn-out\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">characterized<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one\u2019s job, and reduced professional efficiency. And it can have serious impacts on productivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When an employee is experiencing burnout, it can be challenging for them to get their work done to their usual standards. In some instances, it\u2019s hard for them to get anything done at all\u2014which often means someone else on your team needs to pick up the slack. It\u2019s a vicious cycle where your team is constantly becoming less and less productive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. App overload\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apps can be great. They make communication and collaboration easier and help us stay on track during the day\u2014up to a certain point. When there are too many apps, it can actually become a problem for our productivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When data is stored across a handful of apps and different tools are pinging you with updates or alerts, it\u2019s hard to know where to focus your attention. You know someone asked you for something, but was it through instant messaging or email? And where did your teammate say they stored that report? Sometimes having an app stack <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">too large<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can create more problems than it solves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Wrong technology\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your team needs to be empowered to work wherever they are, whether that\u2019s in the office or halfway around the world. They need to be able to access their files, communicate with their teams, and tune into meetings or conferences without running into technical issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But just like using too many apps, using the wrong apps can be just as harmful to your team\u2019s productivity. If the apps you\u2019re using are standing in the way of your team getting their work done\u2014or you\u2019re missing an app in your stack that is crucial for efficiency\u2014you\u2019re only holding yourself back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These productivity-killers are just the start. Teams face personal distractions and challenges all the time while trying to work\u2014especially if a team is working remotely. While you may not be able to stop your employees\u2019 dogs from barking, the construction next door, or their kids from needing help with their homework, eliminating the issues you can control helps set them up for success.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"how\"><\/a><br \/>\nHow to make your team more productive<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you know the most common obstacles that prevent teams from being productive, let\u2019s look at what you can do to change that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Make collaboration as easy as possible\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In today\u2019s workplaces, very little work is completed by teams of one. To paraphrase John Donne, no knowledge worker is an island\u2014and for effective teamwork to happen, there are usually a ton of moving pieces that need to be coordinated in tandem. In order to do this, teams need to be able to communicate effectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/asynchronous-communication\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">communication is taking place asynchronously<\/a> (a conversation that doesn\u2019t take place in real time, like emailing or messaging) or in real time (via video chatting or in an in-person meeting), productive teams tend to be masters of coordinating projects and exchanging information when they need to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating an environment where effective communication takes place is by building it into your culture. Creating a culture of communication means allowing teammates to communicate freely with others in the company\u2014regardless of structure, status, or hierarchy. Think of it as the digital version of leaving your office door open.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>So, give your team <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">multiple ways to communicate<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no one-size-fits-all approach to communication, and trying to force employees to adhere to specific guidelines when it comes to having conversations can hold them back from being as productive as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some of the ways you can encourage communication and collaboration amongst your team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Video chat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for meetings or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/face-to-face-interactions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">face-to-face conversations<\/a>, whether teams are remotely distributed or for situations where a conversation is necessary, but it\u2019s easier or faster than walking two floors (or even two cubicles) down<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/instant-messaging-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Instant messaging <\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for asynchronous messages and communication, for when conversations don\u2019t need to take place in real time but critical information still needs to be exchanged<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><b>Phone calls<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014which can now be made through the internet and routed to a web app, smartphone, and of course, an old-fashioned office <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/find-best-phone-service-for-small-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">phone system<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\ud83d\udd25 Did you know: Instead of using one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/best-video-conferencing-for-small-businesses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">app for video conferencing<\/a>, another for messaging, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/best-file-sharing-app\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">another for file sharing<\/a>, and so on&#8230;\u00a0 it&#8217;s usually better to have an all-in-one communication platform that can handle multiple channels. Like RingCentral&#8217;s desktop and mobile-friendly app, for instance:<\/p>\n<div class=\"rc_custom_video\"><a class=\"rc_custom_video__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtu.be\/EbIAZJd9rCU\">\n\t\t            <picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi_webp\/EbIAZJd9rCU\/maxresdefault.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"rc_custom_video__media\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/EbIAZJd9rCU\/maxresdefault.jpg\" alt=\"\">\n\t\t            <\/picture>\n\t\t        <\/a><br \/>\n\t\t        <button class=\"rc_custom_video__button\" aria-label=\"Play video\"><svg width=\"68\" height=\"48\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\"><path class=\"rc_custom_video__button-shape\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\"><\/path><path class=\"rc_custom_video__button-icon\" d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t        <\/button>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\ud83d\udd79\ufe0f<\/span> Get a hands-on look at how RingCentral works by booking a product tour:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><button data-href=\"#leadform-popup\" class=\"js-open-popup-activator btn primary\" >Choose a time<\/button><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Get your apps under control\u2014and make sure they\u2019re the right ones<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Almost every productivity-killer on our list comes from not having the right tools in place. Poor teamwork, unnecessary meetings, burnout, and more can all be solved (or at least, start to reduce) by implementing the right tools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you do anything else, take a look at what apps you\u2019re using. Do a quick inventory and note the name of each tool and what you\u2019re using it for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/best-customer-service-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">customer service software<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/project-management-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">project management system<\/a>, a way to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/ways-to-use-free-file-sharing-in-your-ringcentral-app\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">share files and documents<\/a> as a team, an instant messaging platform\u2026 the list can go on and on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now take note of which ones are actually necessary. Do you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">really<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> need a separate project management system\u2014or is maintaining the tool adding more work and stress to your team? Is the instant messaging platform often forgotten about, so messages go ignored until it\u2019s too late? Make sure to get your team involved in this auditing process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for opportunities to adjust and refine your processes so that you can eliminate or consolidate the tools you\u2019re using, or so you can build a tech stack that actually supports (rather than overwhelms) your team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<p>Use a multi-purpose tool\u2014not only will you save you money because you&#8217;re paying for fewer software tools every month, but it&#8217;ll also require less time and effort from your team in terms of learning and management.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re looking at your list of apps thinking you can\u2019t possibly get rid of any and still remain productive, you might want to consider adopting an app that serves more than one purpose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RingCentral&#8217;s app is a great example.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s say your team is already using a platform for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/virtual-meetings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">video meetings<\/a> and another for messaging among your team. When trying to hold a quick meeting with a handful of team members, you need to switch between the two platforms\u2014sharing documents and notes on one and connecting through video on the other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can get messy pretty quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The RingCentral app puts everything in one place so your team wastes less time trying to remember passwords, scrambling for documents, and sending out meeting links. You can share and collaborate on files right within the app, share your screen, and even create and manage tasks:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-44136 size-full\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/set-task-GIF.gif\" alt=\"creating a task in ringcentral app\" width=\"800\" height=\"711\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is just one example of how a multi-purpose tool can reduce friction and help your team become more productive. However, when you start to look for opportunities to use fewer apps, your work starts to flow a little more seamlessly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Make sure every meeting has a clear purpose and end goal\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meetings have gotten a bad reputation lately. While holding <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">some<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> meetings is still important, getting together for the sake of getting together cuts into employees\u2019 work time and prevents them from getting their job done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But how do you know which meetings are important and which can be skipped?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, think about what you actually need to accomplish. What specific outcomes do you hope to get from the meeting you\u2019re thinking about hosting? Can you make a list of the goals you want to achieve?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re not quite sure what you\u2019re looking for, you\u2019re probably not ready to gather the team for a meeting. Instead, you might need to do some more research or just talk one-to-one with some team members to gather the right information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are able to clearly identify what you need, think about who you really need to speak with, and if a meeting is really the best way to gather that information. Could that meeting really just be an email?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<p>Put in the work before the meeting so it can run as efficiently as possible. Being prepared is easily the best way to save you (and your teammates) time!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve decided that yes, you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">do<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in fact need to have the meeting, don\u2019t show up without first putting in a little bit of prep work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are our best tips for hosting an efficient meeting:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Create an agenda. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An agenda can keep everything on track and organized and ensure you cover all the important topics. <\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><strong>Choose the right meeting format.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does everyone need to be in the same room, or will a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video-call.html\">video call<\/a> do? Do you even need video, or could you just have a phone call? Find the most efficient meeting format to get the information you need. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Be selective about invitations.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make a list of required and optional attendees. Who do you absolutely need to have at the meeting? Who can skip if they\u2019re too busy?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Get your team engaged with their work\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When employees enjoy what they\u2019re doing each day, they\u2019re more productive. In fact, team productivity is profoundly impacted by the engagement levels of the employees who make up the team\u2014and usually, the productivity floor and ceiling are determined by your least engaged teammates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating an army of engaged employees starts with one tactic that\u2019s simple on the surface but often overlooked: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">make them feel heard.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/leadership-employee-engagement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Employee engagement<\/a> is also impacted by recognition at the team and individual level\u2014and yet many businesses overlook this component of building an engaged workforce. Providing recognition doesn\u2019t even need to cost anything (like a raise or bonus). In fact, just receiving public acknowledgement from a manager or executive was the most memorable recognition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using your instant messaging platform, set up a channel just for kudos and congratulations. Let this be a place where managers, supervisors, or even direct reports can acknowledge the hard work of their team members.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But employees who are engaged with their work also need to feel connected to the work they\u2019re doing each day. While a pat on the back can go a long way, if employees don\u2019t understand <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">they\u2019re doing something, they might quickly lose momentum.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Productive teams are able to move quickly because they can rally around shared goals that are visible, focused, and communicated well. Imagine if every individual could clearly see how their efforts impact the goals of the team and the broader business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep employees focused by setting goals using the SMART framework: make your goals specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-44538\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/smart-framework-1024x453.png\" alt=\"smart framework\" width=\"1024\" height=\"453\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<p>Giving employees the right tools is important, but so is giving them the space for their own professional development.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees need to be given a bit of freedom and creativity to explore their own professional interests if they\u2019re going to stay engaged with their work. When they\u2019re given opportunities to attend courses, learn new skills, or refine the skills they already have, they can feel more engaged with their work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for a balance between what your company needs and what your employees want to learn. While it doesn\u2019t make sense to support a team member while they prepare for a new career entirely, maybe there is some overlap between what an employee wants to learn and what new skills or knowledge your team needs to be more productive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ready to boost your team\u2019s productivity?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee productivity can be ephemeral and hard to quantify, but also incredibly easy to influence in a positive way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By using the simple tips provided above, you\u2019ll be able to reduce the number of challenges and hurdles preventing your team from being productive and usher in a new era of productivity and profitability for your business.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you\u2019re running a small business, every moment matters. Whether you\u2019re going toe-to-toe with industry titans or trying to carve out your own niche, you have a limited number of hours each week, month, and year to make your business as successful as possible.\u00a0 Each employee has, on average, 2,000 hours each year to spend &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17901],"tags":[237],"class_list":["post-40971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-leadership","tag-productivity"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to increase productivity: 4 ways to give your team a boost | RingCentral Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about 4 easy-to-implement tips that&#039;ll 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