Introduction

Undoubtedly, employees are a crucial part of any organization. A business can create an impressive product, but attaining the organizational objectives will be very challenging if the employees’ performance level is low. Employees with better work performance can easily meet deadlines and offer quality results. Besides, work performance also has become critical to an organization’s success, profitability, and productivity. 

As a team leader or manager, it is important for you to constantly move towards success, not only just for yourself but also for your employees. If you are experiencing problems such as a delay in communication, professional development, or work quality, then this guide can be very helpful for you. 

Here, we have mentioned some useful ways to improve work performance. These tips will surely help create an efficient workplace while avoiding distractions.

Why Should You Improve Work Performance?

Enhancing work performance is crucial for both individuals and teams. Well, here are some major reasons why businesses should focus on improving work performance. 
  • Increases Productivity: When a manager performs well, that can motivate the team, which, in turn, can boost the productivity of the whole team. 
  • Accomplishing Goals: A team that performs better can easily meet objectives and complete every given task on time. 
  • Professional Career Growth: High performance can lead to raises and promotions, making employees feel valued. Indeed, career growth is a major motivation factor. 
  • Personal Satisfaction: Good work performance increases morale and confidence of all the members associated with the team. It also motivates them to accept new challenges. 
Trust Building: When employees give their best, delivering high-quality work will be possible. This way, you can build trust among stakeholders or clients.

Factors That Negatively Influence Work Performance at the Workplace

Multiple factors determine how employees will offer service, complete tasks, or focus on their performance. Though, some factors are also directly related to management decisions. Here we have listed some common factors that can negatively influence the work performance: 
  • Poor employee engagement at the workplace 
  • Low motivation
  • Unclear task or role priorities
  • Poor quality communication 
  • Poorly designed workspace (low lighting conditions can lower productivity by around 13 percent). 
  • Stress and overwork 
  • Lack of employee development, skill training, and opportunities 
  • Not establishing clear goals 
  • Poor relationship between managers, team leads, and other members
  • Use of the wrong technology or tools 
  • Poor incentive programs and rewards 
  • Personal issues 
  • Conflict among departments or teams

3 Major Ways to Boost Work Performance

Even though there are multiple factors leading you to low work performance, it is easy to manage them and boost work performance. Below we have curated the major 3 ways to improve work performance.

  • Use the Right Tools

    From the moment employees log into their workday, it is common for them to come across different tools helping them follow a productive schedule. Some of these tools are Dashboards, databases, emails, and more. In the process of increasing efficiency and productivity, employees may find themselves weighed down by multiple tools that can affect their work performance. So, it’s crucial to use the right tool. 

    Useful Tips:

    • Ensure that the tools you are using meet your organizational goals.
    • Choose tools with features that can help your team at the workplace, such as communication and collaboration. 
    • The tools should be simple to use and have an easy learning curve. 
    • Take advantage of the trail-option to explore more about the tools. 

  • Plan And Prioritize Tasks

    One of the most effective and easy ways to boost work performance is by efficiently planning and prioritizing tasks. Sometimes, employees may end up spending hours on irrelevant or low-priority tasks. Then, they left with a few hours to complete high-priority projects. This, in turn, can lead to delays in project completion. 

    Useful Tips: 

    • Always maintain a to-do list and define the nature of tasks clearly.
    • First, complete the urgent tasks and then move to low-priority tasks. 
    • Allocate sufficient time to high-priority and complex tasks. 
    • After establishing the task order, assign tasks to the relevant employees. 
    • Regularly review your team’s performance. 

  • Eliminate Distractions

    More than 75 percent of employees feel distracted at their workplace due to various factors, including office gossip, the internet, emails, social media, and changes in the workplace. Whether you or your employees are working from the office or remotely, certain distractions can affect work performance and productivity (by around 40 percent). As per a study conducted, employees lose around 720 hours every year due to various distractions. So, it is crucial to eliminate such distractions.  

    Useful Tips

    • Encourage employees to use time-tracking tools
    • Take short breaks to rejuvenate
    • Organize employee well-being events
    • Deploy effective time management methods such as the Pomodoro Technique
    • Opt for a focused workforce
    • Try to reduce the number of meetings (by reducing the total number of meetings by around 40 percent, you can witness around 70 percent improvement in productivity.)
    • Avoid gossip or excessive chatting

Some More Tips on Improving Work Performance

Apart from the above-mentioned top three ways to improve work performance, there are also some other useful methods that you can consider while boosting work performance. 
  • Effective Communication Undoubtedly, communication can break or make a team’s work performance. When there is better clarity about the tasks to be done, it will be easier to manage a team swiftly without effective performance. Every team leader or manager must ensure better clarity and keep employees updated on every activity. For this, you can organize frequent one-on-one meetings, establish clear goals and utilize effective communication tools. 
  • Focus on Time Management If you are facing issues with managing deadlines or project delays, then you should consider improving work performance by focusing on time management. Work on enhancing your time management skills by planning your days efficiently.  Besides, create a plan and focus on the right tasks. Encourage employees to avoid non-work-related activities like excessive use of mobile phones,  gossiping, procrastination, etc. Always set timelines for various tasks and try to avoid multitasking. Organizing the workspace can also help you with this. 
  • Always Focus on Feedback Telling your employees how they are performing is crucial. Timely feedback and constructive criticism help in continued learning and enhancement while making sure that all the goals are perfectly aligned. Feedback helps in understanding strengths and weaknesses.  Furthermore, it offers an opportunity to learn new things from the professionals. 
  • Automate Some Tasks Generally, employees spend more than half of their working hours dealing with “Work about work”. There are multiple tasks, such as time tracking, sending emails, paperwork related to HR management, etc., that take a lot of time, even when these tasks can be automated. A study revealed that more than 58 percent of employees think that automation can effectively address burnout. With the right tools, automation can be done in project management, finance and accounting, human resources, marketing, and customer service. 
  • Learn to Delegate Tasks For managers, task delegation is an effective way to enhance work performance while trusting team members to perform delegated tasks confidently. Remember that no one can handle all the tasks. By delegating tasks, you can divide the project into small, manageable phases and ensure that every piece of the project is on track. It is advisable to avoid micromanagement.  Clear communication, detailed feedback and effective goal tracking are some effective ways to lower the risk of micromanagement. You can also opt for The Eisenhower Matrix method here. 
  • Gamify The Projects or Tasks Gamification of tasks can help in increasing productivity. For this, you can use the Pomodoro Technique. Break down the task in 30-minute intervals to make a complex task manageable. Set a timer and try to complete the task within that timeline. If possible, create a personalized reward or points system.  When employees complete their tasks on time, award them with certain points, which are redeemable. For example, when they complete the research plan, reward every member with 10 points, and when they are done with prototyping, offer them 30 points. 
  • Establish Achievable and Clear Goals  Setting clear and achievable goals is a crucial responsibility of every manager to make sure that every employee knows their role. Goals can inspire, motivate, and increase work performance. While setting goals, businesses can opt for the SMART Goals framework that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. Besides, prefer to arrange every goal considering its importance. 
  • Say No to Multitasking Many people claim that they are good at multitasking. However, the fact is that multitasking can greatly affect work quality. You or your team may accomplish more through multitasking, but may end up spending more time, along with unsatisfactory results. As per research, switching between tasks can decrease employees’ productivity by around 40 percent. So, prefer to complete one task at a time and strictly follow your to-do list. 
  • Training Sessions When your employees get required training to polish their skills and under their responsibilities, they will handle tasks with maximum precision. Training helps employees to become more efficient and boosts employee engagement. Organizations should focus on continuous employee development by offering professional retreats, supplemental training programs, coaching programs, workshops, and conferences. A study shows that with proper employee training, organizations can increase their productivity by around 17 percent. 
  • Understand Your Weakness and Strengths No one is perfect in everything. Every person has their own weakness and strengths. It is vital to acknowledge these factors to understand opportunities for improvement. To bring enhancement to work performance, encourage employees to cherish their strengths and introduce various programs to overcome their weaknesses. For example, organizing workshops can help them keep themselves updated about the latest technologies and trends.  
  • Offer Incentives A simple yet effective way to enhance work performance is by offering them incentives and showing recognition. After all, every employee expects recognition or a reward when they contribute towards the success of your organization. Whenever your team produces quality work and performs highly, offer special incentives. Along with monetary rewards, you can offer gift cards, wellness programs, paid time off, etc., to show employees that they are an important part of the company. 

Conclusion

Creating a highly supportive work environment is important to increase work performance. Identifying and addressing employees’ work performance with targeted strategies is vital for business success. Consider the tips we have mentioned above to enhance work performance without dealing with excessive workload or stress. 

However, one of the positive ways to improve work performance is to use the right tools, such as KaryaKeeper to manage projects effectively. With it, you can identify the factors affecting employee performance and work accordingly. Besides, you will be able to make more informed decisions on workflows. Focus on working smarter instead of doing things harder.

FAQs

Is There Any Method to Measure Work Performance?

You can measure work performance by considering multiple parameters like deadlines, work quality, and productivity. You can also carefully study the Key Performance Indicators and utilize 360-degree feedback from them.

How Often Should Organizations Review Employee Performance?

While some prefer to carry out a performance review once a year. However, there is nothing wrong with conducting a mid-year check.

What Are Some Signs of Poor Work Performance?

Frequent errors, poor communication, missed deadlines, challenges in collaboration, and not achieving expected results are some common indicators of poor performance.