So, you’ve manifested a new vision and have created a strategic plan to lift your organization toward its next level programming, scale-up, or expansion. The possibilities for the future seem endless (and the energy buzzing in the office matches that enthusiasm). But as you start to implement the plan, something happens. The buzz gets quieter, energy starts to stagnate and that once-future-forward enthusiasm seems to go retrograde. Before you know it, your strategic plan is on the back burner; a burned up piece of a “nice to do” activity versus a “mission critical” plan for advancement. 

What happened? This graphic helps explain…

How many times have you longed for increased productivity, for yourself or for your team? The most common loss-of-productivity complaints come with subjects like ‘too many emails,’ ‘endless meetings,’ and the dreaded to-do list that never seems to reach its finish line. At the end of the day, we’re slammed, buried and overwhelmed, and optimizing productivity seems like a rather far-out “nice to do” instead of a reality. 

Solving for lost productivity would be an easy thing to do if we were only focusing on our own plate of responsibilities, right? But, we live in a networked and highly complex world. Therefore, our productivity problems rarely ever exist just on our plate, they’re being dished out from a buffet of other sources, too. So, how can we apply simple fixes to a complex issue? 

• Consider setting some structure around your meetings. Are they currently operating as an informational all-you-can-eat? If so, consider a tiered approach, consistent with how information flows within your organization: first meet with your front-line staff to hear of their most pressing needs and issues, then your management staff, etc. That way you have a clear picture of the week, according to your hierarchy. Issues get escalated and can be reviewed in subsequent meetings. (And, do be sure to create a brief agenda for all meetings…to keep the team and yourself on track of what you’re actually trying to achieve by meeting together.)

• Too many emails and tasks tend to bury your team in their own respective to-do lists. Consider a joint project management tool, like Asana or Monday.com. This solution creates an environment where all tasks are kept visible to your teammates, and to yourself. This will open up team accountability by leaps and bounds and should help to solve for some pesky missed deadlines. 

• Define communication channels appropriate to various situations. How many times has your workday been interrupted by a message from a teammate that turned out to be not-so-critical? And, have you ever missed an important message because it got buried in your inbox? 

Some teams opt to create a la carte communication channels appropriate to the situation, rather than having only one channel for all communication. For example, Slack can be used as an instant messaging solution for your teammates to communicate in the moment. This is especially helpful for frontline employees who may need quick answers while working with your clients. With this in place, less urgent or timely communication can be rerouted to your inbox so you can respond as it’s feasible. 

If productivity woes are weighing you down, contact us for an assessment on what can be done. Issues common to most small businesses can be mitigated with a few streamlining tips and tools. Our team at Launch Point can help identify and implement solutions quickly and efficiently after just a few discovery sessions. Book your consultation today.