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Making big changes in your business is hard. They usually cost lots of money and take up lots of time. Plus, you need to accommodate the welfare of your employees into any changes, and ensure that they’re happy with what’s going to happen. It’s a lot to deal with, especially when they’re changes that need to happen.
But what if you could get the same benefits by making smaller changes? It’s not just wishful thinking; it’s a real possibility if you seek out the small things that are slowing you down. They might be things that you don’t even notice – or things that you think you can’t change. In this post we looked at improving productivity, so here’s your guide to improving efficiency in the least disruptive ways.
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Remote working
Think about how much time you and your employees sit in the car or on the train on the way to work. If you add it up over the course of a week, you’ll probably be horrified by how much it is. Yet just think how much more efficient you could all be if this time was taken away. If you could start work straight away, instead of sitting in the car for an hour or so. If you could begin you work in the right frame of mind, not stressed out after queueing in traffic.
Remote working has two main benefits. Firstly, you and your employees will have more time to spend on work, rather than on travel. If they can spend their commuting time doing work, you’ll find that so much more gets done. A remote working setup isn’t hard to put into action: read this guide for more advice. Secondly, their motivation will soar. By giving them this freedom, you’ll earn their support and loyalty. Just remember that people always work harder when they’re being given a privilege.
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The right support
It’s a familiar situation: your laptop keeps crashing and you can’t access your emails on your phone. You’ve tried to call your IT support, but you just get passed between people and put on hold. It’s wasted a huge chunk of your day, and by the time you’re able to work, you feel so stressed and irritated that it’s hard to concentrate.
IT issues take up huge amounts of time in businesses all around the world. That’s why it’s vital to have tech support that gets the job done straight away. If you need help, you need it when you call – not three hours later. So, make sure your support team are earning their keep. If they aren’t, and if they’re causing large delays in your working day, it’s time to look for a new company.
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A no-email hour
Now, this might sound counterproductive, but emails are one of the biggest wastes of time in your employees’ day. In fact, this study from McKinsey found that emails take up to 28 percent of an employee’s day. That amount of time should – and could – be used on much more important tasks. So, every day try to have an email-free hour. Instead of people emailing each other and waiting for replies, they’ll have to get up and walk around or pick up the phone. This makes it a great way to improve how your team works together too.
Image by https://www.flickr.com/photos/shiyang_huang/11319287966/
