Improving efficiency in the workplace is about teams working smarter, not harder. It's important to take a well-rounded view on all areas that may be affecting employee productivity such as the physical work environment, effective leadership and overall job satisfaction.

Our 10 hacks below will help you find the right tools and strategies to boost employee morale and engagement and improve efficiency and productivity in the workplace. 

1. Setting the right goals

The first and one of the most important hacks is to ensure the team is looking in the same direction. When teams have challenging, meaningful goals to work towards, they come together as a more effective and collaborative unit. It helps them be aligned and have a common focus, rather than trying to outperform each another.

When setting team goals its important you make sure they are SMART. If they don’t check all the requirements your team is going to have difficulties sticking to them. After you have clearly defined and communicated your goals make sure you stand behind them. Consistency is key because frequent shifts in direction can confuse a team and lead to misunderstandings loss of focus, and send effective teamwork down the drain.

2. Make your goals visible

Writing down goals is one thing, but for teams to realise them it’s important to visualise goals too. The big picture of your team efforts should be in front of your team always. For hack #2, use a whiteboard or make use of a wall in a common space and draw, write and evangalise team goals.  

3. Allow flexible work hours

Flexible work hours allow people to work when they’re the most productive. Giving employees the ability to choose their hours in turn can make them happier and more likely to stick to work-related tasks when they’re on the job.

Tip: if you think employees work from home productivity might be dipping, try having employees use a time-tracking tool like ManicTime.

4. Update technology

Research technology developments in the property management space and put in place any that will increase team efficiency and productivity. Buying devices like iPad can help teams work on the go, especially when they work from home or are at open houses and rental inspections.  

Tip: try using free team productivity tools like Microsoft teams to manage team administrative tasks such as leave calendars, work-in-progress reports and web conference calls.

5. Streamline inefficient processes

Inefficient workplace and team processes can turn normally efficient workers into frustrated, unproductive ones. Map out repetitive property management workflows and include the steps for each. Try mapping your processes with teams using sticky notes.

These tasks might include property maintenance and repairs processes, rental payments, accounting processes or inspections. Can you identify anything that’s slowing down productivity? You may need to change these processes or eliminate them all together.

Tip: If you’re teams are inundated with repetitive tasks consider using proptech solutions to help you manage frustrations and teams aligned and focused on your SMART goals.

6. Run effective team meetings

An inevitable part of our work routine includes meetings and bottom line will improve if your meetings are productive and valuable to teams. Before scheduling meetings, you should ask yourself ‘Is this meeting important enough for you and your team members to stop their tasks?’ and ‘is it possible to achieve the objective over phone or email?’

Tip: If you do need to set up meetings, keep it effective and create an agenda and placing a time limit, host web meetings where people stay at their desks, or set reoccurring meetings in team calendars.

7. Encourage team building

Find ways to get your team to work together as a group on projects or for different departments. Team-building activities or off-site adventures are great ways for employees to learn to communicate and work together.

It’s even better if you combine these team building efforts with ways to encourage employees to get active or nurture their overall health—both physical and mental. Healthy employees take fewer sick days and are more productive. Plus, these types of activities help employees bond in a stress-free, fun way that boosts morale and improves engagement.

Tip: Try organising a charity run, volunteer for a charity for a day, enter a tough mudder competition or complete an escape room.

8. Start an open-door policy

Keeping the door open means the team leader encourages team members to communicate with them without reservations. Many companies already reap the benefits of open-door management styles as it can help reduce uncertainty and improve relationships, collaboration and faster problem-solving.

Tip: Make sure you set some rules around the policy. For example: if the door is closed, should a team member make an appointment? If the door is open, they should just walk in to discuss anything.

9. Sit near each other

By being near the other team members, you learn about their daily tasks, struggles, and strong traits. You can easily help each other out and you both know what the other is working on without much effort on either side. This type of time-saving makes the team more effective in the long run.

10. Learn the 4 most common communication styles

An efficient team requires clear communication, but not everyone speaks the same language. We all communicate and collaborate in unique ways that can be categorised under four personas:

• The relator
• The socialiser
• The thinker
• The director

Looking at the diagram can you determine which of your team members express certain qualities and habits? We cannot compartmentalise them into these four compartments – after all, every person has his or her style, and they can sometimes intertwine. The list is a useful resource to help you understand their strengths and motivations and communicate better within your team.

If you're looking for a tech solution that will boost team morale and improve productivity, look no further than Bricks + Agent. Our property maintenance and inspections platform is built to help teams streamline tedious and time consuming maintenance tasks.