Organizations constantly strive for excellence, and your people’s performance can make all the difference. Whether you're an HR professional responsible for nurturing talent or a business leader steering the ship, you understand your team's work drives your company forward. Here are seven ways to improve that performance.
1. Set Clear Expectations
Improving your team’s performance starts with a fundamental principle — setting clear expectations. When employees understand what you expect of them, they can align their efforts with the business's goals. Here's how to achieve this:
- Define SMART goals: Create Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART) goals. These objectives serve as the North Star, providing a clear direction for your team. For example, instead of a vague objective like "Increase sales," set a more precise goal like "Achieve a 15% growth in monthly sales by the end of Q4."
- Talk about it: Communicate these goals effectively. Use meetings, emails, and project management tools to make sure every individual knows their role in achieving these goals.
- Explain why: It's not enough to outline the "what." You must also explain the "why." Help your team members understand how their contributions fit the company's mission and long-term objectives. When employees see the bigger picture, they are more motivated and engaged.
- Encourage questions: Create a culture where team members feel comfortable asking questions and seeking clarification. Encourage them to voice concerns and uncertainties about their tasks or objectives. This builds trust and openness.
- Review and adjust: Setting clear expectations is an ongoing process. Regularly review and adapt your goals to align with changing circumstances or emerging opportunities if necessary.
2. Provide Regular Feedback
Feedback is the compass that guides your team towards improvement. Eighty-five percent of employees are more proactive after receiving feedback at work. Constructive feedback is essential for identifying growth areas, motivating team members to strive for excellence, and improving performance. Here's how to establish a culture that empowers your team members to share their perspectives:
- Be clear and quick: When you provide feedback, ensure it's clear and given promptly. Deal with issues as they come up so they don't become bigger problems.
- Talk both ways: Encourage everyone to share feedback, not just receive it. This helps create a culture of learning.
- Feedback systems: Some companies like Google use systems where everyone gives feedback to each other. Such tools provide a complete view of performance, just like Mirro does.
- Reward improvement: Celebrate when employees make progress based on feedback. It motivates others to use feedback for their growth.
- Coach and mentor: Don't just give feedback — help your team members improve. Offer coaching and mentoring to help them excel in their roles.
3. Promote Work-Life Balance
Helping your employees balance work and life — especially when working from home — is vital for their well-being and productivity. When team members can effectively manage their work and personal lives, they perform better.
Share practical tips for achieving work-life balance. This includes encouraging regular breaks, setting achievable deadlines, and ensuring your team feels comfortable taking time off when necessary. Emphasize the importance of separating work from personal life.
Support your people’s well-being by offering wellness programs, leading by example, and maintaining open lines of communication for discussing stress or challenges. Recognize and celebrate achievements, provide resources for time management and stress reduction, and conduct regular check-ins to assess workloads. By prioritizing work-life balance, you create a healthier and more motivated team.
4. Foster Effective Communication
Effective communication is the lifeblood of any high-performing team. It facilitates the exchange of ideas, aligns team members, and ensures everyone is on the same page. Here's how to cultivate a culture of effective communication within your team to improve work performance:
- Communication matters: Communication isn't just words — it's about sharing ideas, expectations, and feelings. It helps everyone understand each other.
- Use different channels: Have various communication methods like meetings, one-on-one talks, messaging apps, and project tools.
- Listen actively: Encourage everyone to really listen to each other. It promotes empathy and understanding.
- Regular check-ins: Set up regular meetings to discuss progress, issues, and upcoming tasks.
- Visual helps: Sometimes, pictures, charts, and diagrams can explain things better. Visual communication simplifies complex ideas.
5. Embrace Technology and Tools
Technology can make your team's job easier. It can do things like automate repetitive tasks, help everyone communicate better, and provide essential data. Some tech tools that can help your employees are performance management software, project management software, and messaging apps.
Hotkeys and keyboard shortcuts can also significantly enhance productivity by saving time, reducing distractions, and streamlining your workflow. For example, Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V for copy-pasting or Ctrl+S to quickly save work. Learning and implementing these shortcuts can improve your team's efficiency and effectiveness in various tasks and applications.
6. Encourage Collaboration
When team members work together seamlessly, they can accomplish more, draw upon each other's strengths, and generate innovative solutions. Here's how to do it:
- Use the right tools: Give your team the right tools to work together. A workplace community & DEI software can do wonders for your people.
- Clarify roles: Make sure everyone knows what they're responsible for in group projects. Define roles, set deadlines, and explain how everyone's contributions fit together.
- Keep checking in: Check how well your team is collaborating occasionally. Use surveys or chats to see where things are going well and where you can improve.
7. Invest in Training and Development
Learning is a big part of getting better. Over three-quarters of employees (76%) are more likely to stick with companies that provide ongoing training. They empower team members by equipping them with new skills, knowledge, and confidence, which makes them more resilient in the face of change.
These opportunities also keep everyone motivated and engaged in their work, enhancing problem-solving skills and teamwork. In terms of leadership, these programs prepare employees for future roles, strengthening the entire team.
Bolster Team Performance With These Tips
Improving team performance is an ongoing process that requires dedication and strategic thinking. Remember — small changes can lead to significant improvements over time.
Combining these strategies and adapting them to your team's dynamics can create an environment that promotes efficiency and enhances overall performance. Regularly assess the effectiveness of these measures and adjust them as necessary to keep your team motivated and engaged.
