Managers have a key role to play in improving employee performance. To do this, they must ensure that their employees have the resources they need to do their jobs well, provide opportunities for growth and development, and give regular feedback. Communication is also essential for managers to build relationships and trust with their subordinates, and to address performance deficits in a constructive manner. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many professionals had the opportunity to try a different way of working, which largely proved successful.
Leaders can adopt this change to increase morale and productivity. When there are few people in a company, communication is organic and productivity goals can be more general. Managers should ask their employees what they need to do their job better. This could be something as simple as providing certain software or a more comfortable chair. Assigning tasks that fit each employee's particular skill set is also important for productivity. Continuous training with contextual learning is essential for employees to receive updates and follow-up information if something was omitted during the initial onboarding.
Setting clear objectives and deadlines is also important for employees to understand exactly what is expected of them. This allows them to work as they see fit, rather than being micromanaged. Performance improvement plans are a viable solution for improving performance, but how that solution is framed for employees is important. To truly improve employee performance, managers must be intentional and committed to supporting their employees in their daily performance. Productivity has less to do with finding ways to reduce time and work faster, and more with different factors that influence the origin of good productivity, such as employee engagement, company culture, and the general happiness of employees in their position. Things like dissatisfied employees, inadequate suitability for the position, lack of training, lack of the right tools, conflicting priorities, and unclear expectations can hinder employee productivity. Motivating employees is key to having a productive team.
Managers should empower their employees by listening to their concerns and suggestions for improvement before injecting their own perspective. Training and development should not be overlooked in order to maintain employee productivity.
