Top 3 productivity killers for teams: How to overcome them

Are you tired of feeling unproductive at work?🤔 You’re not alone. Many teams struggle with staying on task and completing projects on time. But what’s causing this lack of productivity? While many teams are different, the frustrations with productivity are always the same. At Cadrelo we’ve interviewed many teams and with their feedback put all of our efforts in helping them cut through the noise, staying focused and true to their mission. Here we’ll discuss the top three productivity killers for teams and provide practical solutions to help you overcome them.🚀

Lack of clear goals and direction

When teams don’t have a clear understanding of what they’re working towards or how their work fits into the larger picture, it can be difficult to stay motivated and focused.🤷‍♀️ To avoid this issue, make sure everyone on your team understands the goals and objectives of the project, and how their work contributes to those goals.📈 Additionally, regularly check in with your team to ensure everyone is aligned and on track. The idea here is to keep it super simple. Please don’t squirrel your critical goals away on a personal drive. In some dark corner of SharePoint only you know about, in a spreadsheet or PowerPoint deck. Have your goals visible and easily accessible in place even a new starter could find without any guidance or help.

Poor communication

Effective communication is key for any team to function smoothly.💬 Poor communication can lead to confusion and misunderstandings, ultimately wasting time and energy.🤯 The more team members the more complicated the communication patterns tend to get. There’s a lot of duplicity and ‘retelling’ of stories. Jeff Bezos is famous for implementing the ‘two-pizza rule’ in which any team should be small enough to be fed with two pizzas.

To avoid communication complexity establish clear lines of communication and make sure everyone is aware of deadlines and expectations. Regular meetings and check-ins can also help ensure that everyone is on the same page.🗣With remote or hybrid work this has become especially challenging. A McKinsey study found that people spend around a third of their day searching for information. A centralized hub for check-ins, everyone is on the same page. No more confusion or wasted time searching for the correct version of a document. It also improves communication at scale, allowing teams to work together efficiently and effectively.

Distractions and interruptions

Distractions, such as overflowing email inboxes, constant meetings, and social media notifications, can pull teams away from their work and make it difficult to stay productive. Like poor communications, work interactions without intent end up just being status meetings covering known information or general chit-chat that takes people out of  flow. 📱 To minimize interruptions, set boundaries and establish a culture of focus within your team.🛡 Encourage your team to focus on one task at a time and avoid multitasking. Changing to an outcome-focused approach with clear individual and team priorities helps teams focus on what matters🧘‍♂️

By identifying and addressing these productivity killers, teams can work together more efficiently and effectively to reach their goals. 🚀Don’t let these common issues hold your team back any longer! Implement these solutions and take the first step towards improved team productivity.👊