4 Ways to Promote Productivity

In any organization, employees are known to be the backbone and great determiners of the success or failure of the organization. These employees have to be led in a systematic fashion to ensure that all efforts are channeled towards a common goal. Koontz Et Al. defined leadership as "the process of influencing people to direct their efforts towards the achievement of group goals." It is vital that all leaders take note of the term process; this implies that it is an ongoing process which is always open to changes and improvements where necessary. Below are some of the aspects that demonstrate how good leadership can promote productivity in the organization:

Goals

Setting smart goals is a fundamental requirement for any organization that wishes to succeed and grow. The employees look up to the leadership of the organization to set goals for them and stir them towards achieving them. The process used to come up with these goals is a great determinant of whether they will be achieved or not. If the management of the organization is one that employs an autocratic style of leadership, they will not involve the employees in the goal making process. This is, however, an ironical move as the employees are the ones who are supposed to achieve these goals.

It is prudent to seek the opinion and input of the employees while setting these goals. In this manner, they will be motivated to work towards achieving them. A motivated employee is a very productive employee, and this inclusion is one of the ways to boost their morale.

Communication

This is basically the lifeblood of any organization. The type of leadership used has an immense effect on the efficiency of the communication process in the organization. An organization with a lot of bureaucracies tends to have a slow communication process which is ineffective at most times. Information meant for the employees may take a lot of time to reach them hence hampering their performance.

On the other hand, an organization whose leadership has a proper communication flow ensures that the information reaches its destination in a timely and orderly fashion such that the message is not distorted in any way. Communication should also be carried out frequently to maintain constant touch between the employees and the management of the organization. Moreover, the kind of leadership also affects the interpretation of the message you are sending.

Structure

Organizations rely heavily on the structures put in place to run the daily operations. The leadership style used in the organization also affects the type and manner in which structures are put in place. Using an effective leadership style in this case like transactional leadership style ensures that the structures are clear and well defined such that the employees are well aware of their tasks, routines, and timelines.

Alternatively, an organization would choose to use laissez-faire leadership style where the employees are at liberty to choose where to work. This gives them more freedom to set their deadlines. While some may be motivated by this freedom and work well, it may not necessarily work in all organizations. It is therefore upon the leaders to assess the situation and the kind of employees to come up with the leadership style they deem most useful for the organization.

Shed Unnecessary Clutter

Decluttering your workspace is needed. This is basically professional cleaning of the workplace. According to an article in the Journal of Neuroscience 2011 Edition, a cluttered environment is a significant barrier to productivity and working memory. A workplace that is physically cluttered, That is, litter, photos, and a lot of paperwork actually inhibit and distract the functionality of the employees’ brains.

Let go of all unnecessary things from your past careers. Embrace the present and always strive for better work environment and productivity.

To wrap it all up, leaders ought to study and analyze the type of organizations they are leading and more importantly, the employees therein. In so doing, they will be able to come up with the most effective leadership style that will maximize the performance of the employees and in turn improve the productivity of the organization.