Running a business certainly does come with its fair share of challenges. Having a genius business idea is one thing, but being able to execute it in a way that actually makes money is a different issue altogether. Perhaps you have been steadily plodding along in your business for a while, hiring staff here and there and making ends meet. But something just feels wrong – like you’re not making progress you were expecting to make, or you are not achieving your goals in the way you imagined. A lot of this can boil down to efficiency, and whether your business is currently optimized for maximum efficiency. If you’re not seeing the results you want at the moment, fear not – here are some tips on promoting maximum efficiency in your workplace for both you and your team.
Delegate
Being in charge of so many members of staff can, at times, get a little overwhelming. It can often be hard to draw a good balance between being a friend to your employees and being their boss – in some cases, it can be problematic if you blur the line a little too much. This can lead to some members of your team putting in less and less effort. Why? Well, because they don’t regard you as their boss anymore. If this happens to you, re-assert your role as CEO, or manager, by delegating tasks firmly to members of your team. It doesn’t mean you can’t be on friendly terms with them, but it does mean that you show them you expect certain things from them. Look at the list of tasks you require to be completed and then assign them to the person you think is best suited to them, with a time limit in place. This is a simple strategy that takes pressure off you as a boss and allows your employees to earn their keep.
Make communication easy
How on earth are you supposed to run an efficient business if just speaking to one of your employees is a mammoth task? In today’s high-tech world, there are no excuses for being un-contactable. Firstly, you should start with the original form of internal communications – the phone system. Even if your startup is fairly new, you could still benefit from having a phone system that includes attributes such as call forwarding. Companies such as VoIP and Business Phone Solutions can help you implement a system like this. Plus, consider having a company-wide email protocol which all members of staff have to adhere to. You will get things done much quicker if everyone is communicating efficiently.
Create to-do lists
So that everyone in your workplace is on the same page, they need to be kept in the loop of which projects are at what stages. Send out a weekly roundup, if you can, of what has been completed and what still needs to be done. Or, put up a big whiteboard in your office where you can write the goals for the week. This will help to keep your staff focused and trained on the tasks ahead.
