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6 Things Businesses Can Do to Welcome New Employees

By Gunjan Saini | Business Tips | No Comments

Finally! After weeks of searching for the right candidate to fill that open position, you’ve found the right person. In fact, they’re starting this week. No doubt you’re excited to welcome your new employee and have your team working at full capacity again.

Your new employee is probably just as thrilled as you are. It’s also highly likely that they’re nervous about their first few days. As the manager, you’re in charge of making your most recent hire feel at home and comfortable with their new colleagues. Keep reading for six tips to wheel out the welcome wagon.

1. Greet them personally on day one.

Think back to your first day at work. It may have felt slightly intimidating to walk through the front door to take on the unknown. That’s a normal response to unfamiliar situations and responsibilities. However, it’s easier if you don’t have to do it alone, though.

Offer your new employee a helping hand. Additionally, coordinate your schedules so you can meet them when they arrive for work. Greet them with a smile and let them know you’re excited they’re joining your team. Take the time to walk them through the schedule for their first day. With a good idea of what the day will bring, your new employee will feel more at ease.

2. Lead an office tour.

The initial greeting and welcome are great. Consequently, invest a few more minutes and go a step further, though. Don’t simply point the newbie to their office with a wave and “good luck.” Help them get oriented with a tour of the office and building, if needed.

Show them their office and then point out the break room. For example, what’s the quickest way to get to the bathrooms? They’re new and may have questions, so walk them over to human resources. It’s also a good idea to introduce them to the people who work closest to them. Helping with those early introductions can pave the way for easier conversations later in the day.

Don’t forget to explain your digital tools as well. If you have remote employees, your new hire needs to know how to reach them. Give them a brief tutorial on your workplace communication tools. It could make their workday much easier.

3. Personalize their workspace.

Few things feel less inviting than an empty cubicle or office with bare walls and a buzzing overhead light. That image doesn’t say, “We’re glad you’re here!” However, you can easily switch that up, though. With a little effort, you can make your new hire’s office feel like a work home.

Channel your inner elementary-school self and create a cheery banner to hang up. Put an oversized coffee mug filled with bite-size candies on their desk. Tie a shiny balloon to their office chair. Have everyone sign a welcome card. In short, these small touches can make your new employee feel great about their first day.

Encourage your employee to add their own personal flair as well. They might bring in artwork or a plant or two. Both additions will lend color to their office space. They may also prompt conversations with their new co-workers.

4. Host a team meeting.

Sometimes, it takes more than a few quick introductions to make your new hire comfortable with their colleagues. If that’s the case, go ahead and host a team meeting. Let everyone know it will be a social event. It’s their time to catch up with each other and get to know the recent additions to the team.

If you can, try to get out of the workplace. Take your team to lunch at the cafe down the street. Maybe reserve a few lanes at the bowling alley for some after-work strikes and gutter balls. There are other options if you must stay in the office. Organize your meeting as a get-to-know-you event with icebreakers. Fill out personality or work style tests to see which colleagues have things in common.

5. Give them a welcome kit.

Have you ever gone to a conference and been greeted with a themed goodie bag? It’s a nice little perk that comes with the event. Similarly, starting a job should be just as exciting and fun. A welcome pack can do the trick for your new hire. It’s an easy way to make them feel like a part of the office family.

These kits can include several different kinds of treats. For example, does your company have branded clothing? Include a shirt or hoodie. Depending on where you’re located, drop in a list of the best local restaurants and coffee shops. Similarly, add coupons if they’re available, and provide a map, too. In short, a well-stocked welcome kit offers bunches of practical information your new hire will appreciate.

6. Pair them with a mentor.

It doesn’t matter whether your new employee is fresh out of college or a seasoned veteran. Being new to the office is still being new to the office. To help the individual learn the official — and unofficial — ropes, hook them up with a mentor. Someone who’s been with the company a while is a good choice.

Before the employee comes on board, look for an existing co-worker with whom they might have some things in common. Maybe they have shared work histories or have expressed similar interests. It will all help build a connection. Similarly, having a specific person to go to with questions can be a relief for a new hire. It’s a simple way to help them succeed.

Starting a job is an exciting time. It’s filled with possibilities, as well as anxiety and some fear. Fortunately, there are plenty of steps you can take to welcome your latest employee. Consequently, if you follow these tactics, the new co-worker will feel like part of your team in no time.

Featured Image Credit: Rodnae Productions; Pexels.com. Thank you!

How Can I Better Manage My Time Management Needs

By Hunter Meine | Time Management | No Comments

You can always do better to improve your time management abilities and habits. Manage your time management needs to make your life better.

Signs that you need to improve your time management abilities and habits include the following:

your long-term ambitions appear elusive;
you are not getting much done; and
you miss or move your deadlines.

There is no project manager assigned to your life to manage your time and responsibilities properly. You can take charge of your own time management needs.

Everyone struggles with time management. It is a skill most of us could use some help to improve. However, signs that you need to improve your time management abilities and habits include:

your long-term ambitions appear elusive;
you often miss or move deadlines;
you can’t concentrate and struggle to accomplish chores or projects;
your work list is overwhelming;
you decide you just cannot do it all;
you labor longer than you should on particular tasks;
you’re always stressed; and
you’re trying hard…but getting nowhere.

If any of the following apply to you, it’s time to grow up a bit and work on your time management.

Finding Out How Time Management Works

1. Set objectives.

We often ignore goals while managing our time.

It’s easy to lose sight of long-term objectives amid everyday duties. As a result, you may struggle to concentrate on the most pressing issues or prioritize your extensive list of responsibilities.

Overwhelmed? Re-evaluate your task list. Will spending time on this specific task help you achieve your goals?

Work from your SMART objectives: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic/Relevant, and Time-Based. Unrealistic or vague objectives are challenging to monitor and generally unfinished.

2. Plan your time.

Stop letting others schedule your time.

The most effective strategy to acquire time management skills is to be purposeful with your time. You are making time management a habit that may help you achieve long-term objectives while reducing distractions and increasing attention. When planning your time working from home, keep in mind different timetables.

For example, notify your roommates when you don’t want to be disturbed, go to a public place, or make a lot of noise. Establishing expectations ahead of time decreases the possibilities for conflict.

3. Plan time chunks.

Blocking your time is an excellent method to prioritize non-urgent, long-term projects that demand attention and significant labor.

It’s generally put on hold when more pressing duties demand your attention.
Setting aside time to focus on specific tasks ensures progress.
Limiting work time also reduces task fatigue.

A shared calendar at work might help discourage employees from arranging meetings within your time blocks.

4. Find your time management peak hours.

Power hours are when you have the most incredible energy and do the most.

You may already be aware of your power hours. If you’re unsure, monitor your time to find out. Therefore, during your power hours, schedule your most vital and time-consuming chores.

However, schedule monotonous jobs that don’t demand much concentration throughout the day.

5. Use sprints for focus.

It’s not always simple to start a job or work deep. Therefore, the Pomodoro approach works well for task beginning and attention issues.

Schedule brief (15–30 minute) periods of intense concentration on a single activity. Then take a five-minute pause between sprints. Prepare a distraction-free environment before a concentration sprint. Get rid of everything except what you need to complete your task.

For example, enable Do Not Disturb on your devices. Avoid putting up with talkative roommates. Your sprints may be as long or as short as you choose. However, five- and ten-minute sprints with one-minute pauses may be more suitable for you.

6. Set time management priorities.

Our to-do lists may suddenly balloon. Idea generation and idealization are human strengths. Ideas are limitless, but time is limited. Pretending you can manufacture time increases your stress levels. For example, the Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful prioritizing tool.

Even if you don’t use the diagram to prioritize activities, the vocabulary and structure may help you evaluate their worth. For example, tasks that need quick attention.

Important: Tasks that help you achieve your objectives. However, they aren’t always urgent, yet failure to do so has significant implications.

The Eisenhower Time Management Matrix divides work into four quadrants. Using this approach will help you prioritize your tasks.

Prioritize these tasks. Next, do these things.

Important But Not Urgent: Postpone or assign. Don’t do it! Remove it from your list.

You don’t have to do everything. However, delete tasks that don’t fulfill your aims to save time, especially if you created them. It takes some trial and error to find the right one for you. Nevertheless, it is possible to build good time management skills.

7. Schedule your week and days.

Every day and week, set your aims and priorities. However, planning your calendar offers you a better sense of the future and allows you to prepare for it.

Therefore, checking in on your time management priorities keeps you on track with your objectives and helps you to adjust to new ones.

8. Saying no.

Time is limited. Even in business, boundaries are necessary. You may feel pressured to say yes to every request, but you aren’t.

It’s essential to be aggressive, know your limitations, and avoid over-committing. Breach of obligations erodes confidence in relationships.

9. Feed your brain.

We frequently take our intellect for granted. Focus isn’t only a result of willpower. Our brains must be in tip-top shape.

You are taking pauses, sleeping enough, eating well, exercising regularly, and socializing to help executive function. If you’ve ever felt “hangry” or grumpy after a stormy night’s sleep, you’re not 100%.

However, when you’re irritable, you’re more likely to create problems at work and at home. Therefore, trying to work when you’re not at your best leads to poor work and mental misery.

10. Stop looking for motivation or inspiration.

You won’t get much done if you wait for inspiration to hit. Set a small objective to get started.

Focus sprints might help you finish challenging activities. Starting time management may inspire you even for five minutes. However, don’t ignore social media.

11. No such thing as time management multitasking.

Multitasking is a losing proposition. Constant interruptions degrade attention, reducing work completion.

Instead of jumping from activity to task, make a list of recurring charges and schedule them. However, it’s tough to resist multitasking when you’re not the only one working from home, but setting limits will pay you in the long term. However, always look for new time savers.

12. Plan your message check-ins.

You may believe checking every email, social media direct message, and phone contact are polite. Like multitasking, these random interruptions limit your capacity to accomplish serious work. Instead, schedule time to catch up on mail.

How Can I Better Manage My Time Management Needs was oringinally published on Calendar by Hunter Meine. Featured Image Credit: CottonBro; Pexels. Thank you!

The Importance of Creativity in the Workplace

By Deanna Ritchie | Business Tips | No Comments

The cornerstones of productivity are staying organized, mission-driven, and efficient. But, staying creative shouldn’t come at the expense of those pillars. On the contrary, creativity is becoming an increasingly valuable asset in the workplace for both individuals and teams.

Furthermore, the World Economic Forum states that creativity is or is related to nine of the ten skills that will define the world in 2020 and beyond. In addition to increasing confidence and collaboration, being creative increases problem-solving skills.

But that’s not all. In business, creativity has the following benefits.

Goes hand-in-hand with innovation.

Innovation requires two ingredients: novelty and utility. Unfortunately, despite the importance of creativity in generating unique and original ideas, they’re not always practical. Creative solutions, however, are essential for innovative solutions.

Leads to productivity.

Creativity fosters productivity as long as the work environment allows them to coexist. As a result, creativity can lead to productivity in the following ways:

Prevents getting stuck in a rut.
- There’s nothing wrong with routines. However, sometimes you need to shake things up and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Doing so will expose you to fresh ideas and perspectives.
Solves bigger problems.
- You and employees will be able to see the bigger picture and focus their energy on issues that significantly impact the company when creative thinking is encouraged. When employees can apply these efforts to bigger-picture problems rather than simply churning out work, they are more productive — and the business thrives.
When employees are encouraged to be creative, their workplaces will be changed for the better.
- Motivation comes from allowing people to make a tangible, visible difference in their workplace. You don’t want to feel like a drone, mindlessly completing tasks without any apparent impact on your life.
People get emotionally involved in it.
- Quite simply, work without passion is tedious — especially for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. Some people, however, require a little more motivation to spark that passion at work. Participating in the creative process empowers workers, regardless of their department or role.
By promoting creativity, failure becomes less likely.
- People need the freedom to fail if they are going to foster a creative environment. Creative environments that fear failure are crippled and hamstring the flow of ideas. As a result of fear, we tend to color outside the lines, preventing us from identifying new and more effective ways of working, improving processes, streamlining operations, and creating new products.

Provides adaptability.

It may not always be necessary to adjust your business model when creatively addressing challenges. For example, to improve the efficiency of your operations, you might develop new products or services. However, don’t reject an idea because it doesn’t match the scale of a problem.

Business is a world of constant change, and adapting to it requires creative solutions.

Growth depends on it.

The idea that there is only one way to approach or interpret a situation or challenge is one of the main hindrances to a business’s growth.

It’s easy to fall into cognitive fixedness because it can be tempting to approach every situation the same way you have in the past. There are, however, differences between each situation.

A company’s leaders can stagnate if they do not take the time to understand the circumstances they face, foster creative thinking, and act on findings.

The skill is in demand.

Top industries like health care and manufacturing value creativity and innovation. It is mainly due to the complexity of challenges faced by every industry.

How to Encourage Creativity in the Workplace

So, we know that creativity is essential. But, how exactly can you encourage creativity in the workplace?

1. Schedule opportunities for creative thinking.

“Creative thinking can often be overlooked if it doesn’t get time on our calendars,” writes Nathan Rawlins in CIO. “There will always be more meetings and tasks to check off our lists, so it’s important to actually book time for creative activities.”

For example, hackathons have resulted in significant updates for our product offerings. In two to three days, teams spend a lot of time thinking creatively, collaborating, and testing out ideas outside the box. “The results are fantastic features that bring value to both the product and the company,” adds Rawlins. “Additionally, these events boost morale and demonstrate our commitment to creativity and innovation.”

2. Instill autonomy.

Increased responsibility and autonomy will likely lead to the generation of more ideas, as well as a greater sense of pride and confidence in your team’s skills.

Broadly, this could allow your team to work however they want, instead of micromanaging. More specifically, you let your team choose the agenda when meeting one-on-one.

3. Implement flexible work hours.

Consider offering flexible or work-from-home hours for specific roles requiring only an internet connection. When employees work from home, they can think more clearly, come up with more innovative ideas, and reduce their stress levels.

Establish clear expectations and guidelines to ensure steady productivity at home. And plan a flexible schedule that suits managers and their teams and the company’s requirements.

4. Don’t worry about “how.”

“Leaders unknowingly weaken their team’s creativity by focusing too early on implementation,” says Lisa Guice, Lisa Guice Global-Vision, LLC. “The fastest way to kill the creative process is by requiring your team to produce tactical solutions in tandem with creative ideas.”

This not only stifles the creative flow but also shifts the work environment into a “produce while editing” mindset, which results in a diminished individual contribution.”

5. De-silo your organization.

For innovative teamwork to take place, it is essential that a collaborative and social environment is created. Managers will notice a significant difference when they take steps to “de-silo” their organizations.

In addition to working on their own projects, employees can interact with colleagues in other departments and learn more about the company. As a result, ideas and inspiration will flow freely throughout departments, sparking workplace creativity.

Furthermore, humor is great for team building, inclusivity, and creativity.

What if you have a primarily remote or hybrid team? You might want to set up a Slack or similar chat channel called “water cooler.” By doing so, your employees can engage in some friendly office banter. Or, at the end of your team meetings, schedule time for everyone to discuss their plans for the weekend.

Playfulness creates a sense of belonging and safety, inspiring creativity.

6. Get walking.

Regarding fresh thinking, walking is one of the oldest and most effective sources. “Walking meetings” were a popular method used by Steve Jobs to foster connection and creativity with coworkers and collaborators.

In addition, Harvard Medical School researchers found that walking meetings enhanced creativity by 5.25% and engagement by 8.5%. Stanford University researchers also discovered that walking increased creative thinking by 60%. The movement itself energizes the brain, regardless of how long or where it takes place.

7. Don’t let good ideas go to waste.

Incentives should be provided to encourage employees to share their ideas. One suggestion is to implement the best ideas and to acknowledge other people’s efforts. To let the employee know you plan to implement their ideas, I suggest you personalize your message. Finally, if the change is successful, notify the team of the inspiration behind it.

To foster innovation, it is important to address and publicly commend good ideas. As a result, team members feel more inspired to share their ideas and opinions.

8. Encourage self-reflection.

You’ll find that your employees become absorbed in their work and forget the importance of what they’re doing when the workload picks up. To combat this, make check-ins for self-reflection a habit for employees. By doing this exercise, they are inspired to see things from a different perspective, both in terms of what they have achieved and what lies ahead.

Your team can also see the concrete results of their hard work and innovative solutions by sharing monthly or quarterly achievements.

9. Allow for failure.

When you ask your employees for their creative input, ensure they know you don’t expect perfection or thoroughly polished work. To be able to take risks without negative consequences, staff members need to be allowed to develop plans that go awry. The ability to fail wisely is a valuable skill for managers and companies.

“Once [employees] see, firsthand, the value of putting out what we call a ‘low-resolution prototype’ and getting feedback from a key constituent, and seeing how that direct[s] the next step, people start to become believers in that process,” explains Graham Henshaw, executive director of the Alan B. Miller Entrepreneurship Center at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business, on the W&M Leadership and Business podcast. “[Innovators must have] an openness to risk… You’re willing to take risks where you might fail, but you learn something from that failure and move forward,” he continued, emphasizing, “[You need] a tolerance for ambiguity…you’re withholding that need for immediate closure.”

10. Set a tone of risk-taking.

Most professionals feel that their firms and departments are not taking enough risks. However, the risk is essential to enhance your business’s competitive advantage and encourage workplace creativity.

When appropriate, empower employees to make bold decisions and push them to take calculated risks instead of micromanaging them.

The Importance of Creativity in the Workplace was originally published on Calendar.com by Deanna Ritchie. Featured Image Credit: NextVoyage; Pexels. Thank you!

How Not to Dread Returning to Work After Time Off

By Appointment LLC | Business Tips | No Comments

How did you spend your recent vacation? Did you soak up the sun at the beach or go hiking in the mountains? Maybe you backpacked through Europe, took a family road trip, or simply had a relaxing staycation. Everything seems to be going well until you realize that returning to work awaits you on the last day of vacation. And, it starts with a capital W.

No. Your mind isn’t playing tricks on you. We all hate going back to work after vacation. In fact, it’s a phenomenon that’s been studied numerous times. As an example, a Zapier / Harris Poll found that 87% of knowledge workers dread returning to work after taking a vacation.

But, why? The following tasks are among the most dreaded.

Reestablishing a routine – 37 percent.
Getting caught up with administrative tasks – 31 percent.
Feeling overwhelmed by busy work – 27 percent.
Post-vacation blues – 27 percent.
Dealing with piles of unread emails/messages – 26 percent.
Being overwhelmed by a busy schedule – 25 percent.
Not being in the loop about tasks – 23 percent.
Catching up on missed work while feeling unproductive – 20 percent.
Missing an important decision made while they were away – 18 percent.
A delay in a project caused by their absence – 18 percent.
Having trouble managing their projects – 17 percent.

Hanging On to Vacation Benefits Upon Return

Psychologist Jeroen Nawijn, who has studied how vacations affect the quality of life, tells Popular Science that people generally feel rejuvenated after a vacation. However, these benefits tend to disappear after they return home. “They most likely feel best during vacation because they have more freedom to do what they want,” he explains.

Suzanne Degges-White, a therapist at Northern Illinois University and chair of the department of counseling and higher education, agrees. “Once we get back into the work world, the majority of us have to answer to someone about what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and when we’ll be done,” she says.

In addition, she says that going on vacation doesn’t alleviate all of our responsibilities and quandaries. “Many people dread the return as they know that problems may have stacked up in their absence. There may be a pile of new requests of their time on top of the unfinished tasks they left behind,” Degges-White explains.

Additionally, she points out the impact of switching from a more flexible sleep schedule on vacation to a more rigid and regimented bedtime schedule during the week. Moreover, overeating (and drinking, if that is your thing) can lead to sluggishness. And, it can also negatively impact wellbeing.

At the same time, you don’t have to let the good times go after the vacation has ended.

1. Plan before you go.

Before leaving for vacation, prepare for returning to work.

As soon as you begin planning your vacation, you should consider what potential problems or events could distract you. Also, don’t wait until the last minute to start any big projects. Be sure to complete any urgent tasks before you depart if there are any deadlines during your absence.

If you’re going away, plan ahead and get your team to assist you while you’re away. I’d also suggest that you reciprocate while they are away.

Some other tips include:

Tackle your priorities ASAP.
- “How you identify your priorities is totally up to you,” writes Max Palmer in a previous Calendar article. “I would recommend reviewing your calendar and then composing a master list.” If you have an appointment scheduled already, consider rescheduling it. Also, the 80/20 rule or 1-3-5 scheduling rule can help you trim back your list.
Don’t burn yourself out before your vacation.
- There’s nothing like front-loading what you can. “But, you still need to take breaks to rest and recharge,” he advises. “If I know, I have an upcoming vacation, I might put in a couple more hours of work each day.”
Clean your plate, don’t add more.
- In Max’s case, this means not taking on any new assignments until he gets back home. “I also cut back on the number of meetings I accept so that I can focus mainly on my work.”

One final suggestion. Don’t forget to schedule your vacation days.

Let clients and coworkers know you’ll be away. If you’re on vacation, they should be respectful of your absence. It is unlikely that you will be bothered by people if they know you are on vacation — especially if you have given them several weeks’ notice.

2. Don’t disappear completely.

It may make more sense to be “largely” disconnected — even if the original idea is to completely disconnect.

That doesn’t mean you should scrap out-of-office messages altogether. Still, you might want to check your email periodically. In this way, you can stay up to date on what’s happening in the office. And, this also prevents your inbox from getting too cluttered.

Additionally, some messages may require your response. For example, as a freelancer, you may want to reply to potential clients about how long you are away. If you are available, let them know. Or, perhaps you can refer them to someone who can help.

3. Schedule a buffer day.

Whenever you are considering how many leave days to take off, consider a buffer day or two as well. It’s these days that give you a chance to reorient yourself at home after your vacation. For example, when you get home, you can unpack, do laundry, bond with your pets, and go shopping for essentials.

In short, having a buffer day gives you time to unpack your bags, do your laundry, go grocery shopping, and prep your meals for the week instead of doing so after work.

4. Check your calendar.

Make sure you check your calendar the day before you return to work so you are not surprised by unforeseen meetings or tasks. If you do encounter unexpected surprises, consider whether you can handle them without too much preparation.

And, if possible, postpone them until you can contribute meaningfully.

5. Stay in stealth mode.

Your boss, colleagues, clients, and immediate reports may be aware that you’ve returned. In any case, there is no harm in waiting a couple of days before broadcasting your return to the real world.

Why? With selective stealth, you can catch up and return to normal life without being rushed or distracted.

6. Divide your first day back into time blocks.

Break up your first day back at work after vacation into blocks of time. And, don’t forget to take regular breaks. One rule of thumb is the 52/17 Rule. Here you would work for 52-minutes and then take 17-minutes.

On your first day back at work, do not feel pressured to work hard. Once you’ve returned from vacation, it’s important to give your body and mind some time to adjust. And, time blocks can do just that while also helping you focus on your priorities.

7. Get organized.

Getting organized is the first thing you should do when you return to work. For some, this might mean putting yourself in a good physical or mental state. As such, you might want to engage in some physical activity to release endorphins.

Keeping your office or workspace tidy is another suggestion. This should also be done before you leave for vacation, so you’ll be able to return to a clean work environment. If not, use your post-vacation to clean and organize this area. Or, use this as an excuse to finally spruce up your workspace.

8. Make work fun.

Use your first week back to accomplish things you actually enjoy. Maybe this could be scheduling lunch with a coworker where you exchange vacation stories. Or, you could embrace gamification in the workplace.

You can also make work fun with these practices.

Start the day with a playlist that gets you pumped and motivated.
Review your past accomplishments and track the progress of your goals.
Decorate your workspace.
Put on clothes that will make you happier and more confident at work.
Bring your dog to work — or let them stay with you in your home office.
Whenever you complete a task on your to-do list, reward yourself with a healthy snack or victory lap outside.
Plan an out-of-work activity with coworkers.

9. Don’t go full throttle.

You shouldn’t be too rigid about what you expect for your return to work — whether you plan to take it easy or jump right into the fire. After all, there’s a possibility that your plan for a slow and easy return may turn out to be a lot faster than you expect.

Make time for self-care, pace yourself, and ask for extensions when necessary. You will be less stressed and less overwhelmed if you are kind to yourself during this transition.

10. Take a piece of your vacation with you to work.

When you return to work after vacation, bring a souvenir that is appropriate for the office, such as a coffee mug, mouse pad, pen, desk ornament, or framed picture of your trip. It has been found that recalling vacations and other adventures can provide great pleasure, according to UC Riverside psychology professor Sonja Lyubomirsky’s book, Myths of Happiness.

A souvenir can bring back happy memories that can motivate you through the daily monotony of your work.

How Not to Dread Returning to Work After Time Off was originally published on Calendar.com by Albert Costill. Featured Image Credit: Karolina Grabowska; Pexels.com. Thank you!

4 Ways Businesses Can Expand Their Payment Options

By Gunjan Saini | Business Tips | No Comments

Part of catering to customers’ needs is offering flexible and convenient ways to pay. Sometimes the difference between making a sale and not is a payment selection clients can work with. Whether you strictly stick to services or also sell products, increasing your payment options can also expand your customer base.

At the same time, balancing business and client needs is essential. It may not be practical or cost-effective to offer some solutions if setup and maintenance expenses are too high. Frequency of client use, transaction fees, and chargeback risks are considerations every owner should evaluate. Most importantly, payment options must make sense for individual appointment-based business models. Below are four ways to expand customers’ payment choices.

1. Set Up Mobile Payments

Mobile payments can cover everything from digital wallets and peer-to-peer payment services to QR codes. These options make it easier for customers without traditional bank accounts and debit cards to submit payments. With the rise in the gig economy and money management alternatives, mobile payments also offer clients additional flexibility.

Some customers may have conventional checking accounts where they manage part of their income. However, they might also do side work and have supplemental income that goes into peer-to-peer or digital wallet accounts. These clients may prefer to pay for services like haircuts and home repairs with their side income. Online and in-store mobile payments make the process simpler since customers don’t have to move money between accounts.

Survey research shows that 71% of U.S. consumers have used a mobile wallet to make payments in the last year. The convenience of not carrying a physical wallet or purse may be part of the appeal. Other factors that make mobile payments attractive are their contactless nature and enhanced security. Customers don’t have to exchange card details or account information. Businesses, however, have to consider transaction fees and the possibilities of chargebacks.

2. Offer Electronic Invoicing

Electronic invoicing is a way to bill clients after they’ve received a company’s services.

Say your business provides in-home maintenance services related to plumbing or electrical wiring. Customers schedule appointments for these services on your website and receive confirmations with a technician’s details. Often, the extent of the problem and the appropriate fix aren’t known until the day the tech shows up.

Before property owners pay, they want to ensure work is done properly and everything’s working. It may take a few days after the job is done for clients to verify nothing else is wrong. Sending invoices via email after technicians complete the work gives customers that time and lets them submit payments securely.

Customers don’t have to exchange credit card or checking account information directly with someone they may not know. Electronic invoices also save employees time at a customer’s location. Repair technicians don’t have to collect and verify payment details or ensure they have a good cellular data connection. They can inform the customer they’ll receive an invoice in their email and move on to the next job. Business risks include delayed payments and write-offs.

3. Give Recurring or Automatic Payment Options

Repeat customers who come in frequently or purchase ongoing services might prefer recurring or automatic payments. With these options, clients can set up which account they want a business to charge each time they buy something. For example, a pet daycare and boarding facility can offer recurring payments for clients who use the services weekly.

Instead of collecting payment for each visit, the facility can charge the person’s account. The frequency could also be set according to client preferences or business needs. For instance, the facility might apply charges on a rolling 30-day basis. The business might charge for monthly boarding and daycare visits at once, giving customers an easier way to budget.

Recurring or automatic payments can also work well for gyms, dance studios, house cleaning services, and ongoing care facilities. One of the biggest advantages of routine payment options is they’re convenient for the customer and the business. Neither side has to remember to send or collect payment. Yet some of the same risks and costs that occur with manual payments still apply. These include insufficient funds, fees, chargebacks, and fraudulent transactions.

4. Provide Payment Plans

While some services don’t cost much, others do. Significant expenses can make customers delay their purchases and major projects. Others won’t be able to fit these costs into their budgets without ways to make smaller payments over time. Offering payment plans or same-as-cash credit options can help businesses overcome the affordability obstacle.

For instance, a painting service may perform a variety of jobs that vary in cost. Some requests will run a few hundred dollars, while others will go into the thousands. Clients may appreciate options to pay off the work over six months or even a year. Payment plans give customers flexibility and ease the pain of paying for much-needed services.

Some businesses may choose to manage payment plans in-house or work with a service that extends on-demand credit to clients. Either way, working within customers’ budgets can bring in more business and expand market reach. However, payment plans may require more follow-up and some degree of automation. The risks of write-offs and slow payments exist. Credit services might also mean more transaction fees and reduced revenues for businesses.

Expanding Payment Solutions

When businesses offer more payment options, their services are more likely to appeal to a wider customer base. Flexibility, affordability, and security often represent clients’ top needs. Giving customers choices beyond cash and conventional credit and debit cards shows a business is willing to accommodate those desires. Alternatives, such as mobile wallets and payment plans, can give service providers another way to stand out from the competition.

Featured Image Credit: Yan Krukov, Pexels. Thank you!

4 Ways to Inspire and Motivate Employees

By Jon Bradshaw | Business Tips | No Comments

Managing a team of employees is one of the greatest challenges when it comes to running a business. Workers can’t be consigned to a spreadsheet and assigned responsibilities that are fulfilled without question. To motivate your employees, they need considerably more care — which they deserve! — but they’re also the backbone of your business.

Given the continued tight labor market, businesses throughout the country have taken a variety of approaches to retaining critical employees. Some have offered creative benefits such as reimbursements for streaming services or discount programs for local restaurants. Others have provided onsite services such as an in-house coffee shop or a company gym.

What often succeeds better than any of that is striving to keep your employees engaged and motivated in their work.

You should be constantly seeking different means of motivating, inspiring, and empowering your workforce. If you’re always looking for ways to keep them engaged, you won’t encounter as many productivity ruts. The following are a few motivational tips you can try out to give your team a push forward.

1. Encourage Days Off

When trying to motivate your employees to work harder, encouraging them to take time off might not be your first thought. Yet this is exactly what you should be doing.

Employees who are able to consistently take time off tend to be happier and more well-rested. This equates to more engaged workers during the hours they are clocked in.

Numerous studies have shown that the best-performing employees usually have a healthy work-life balance. They’re not as worried about their families or disappointed that they are too busy to pursue hobbies.

When an organization enables this sort of balance, it gets repaid by maximum effort when employees are at work.

There are several ways you can encourage your team members to take time off. Give your employees vacation time and urge them to use it annually. Improve your workflows so that they don’t have to work nights and weekends. Conduct cross-training so other colleagues can pick up the slack when employees take some time for themselves. These efforts will enable employees to return to their tasks with greater focus and energy.

2. Host Team Events

If your employees work in a team environment, you should always be trying to encourage team bonding. Team members who understand and trust each other work more effectively. Additionally, having a close relationship with co-workers can make work days feel shorter and more enjoyable.

Team lunches and group training sessions will allow employees to grow closer together. Trusting that your teammates are capable and will pull their weight can be quite encouraging. Team training can help each worker feel like they can perform their job properly and feel motivated to do so.

Perhaps more valuable than work activities are team events held outside of the office. These are opportunities for your team to connect without everything being about workplace responsibilities. Consider taking employees and their families to the park or buying baseball tickets for the entire team as an outing.

3. Spruce Up the Office

The environment in which your employees work has a great effect on their motivation. Bland, bare walls won’t be cause for much inspiration. A little additional light and color can go a long way toward boosting employee morale.

You don’t have to resort to a new paint job to lighten up your office, though. Start with your actual lighting. Do you have natural light coming in? Have you lit your rooms well, or do you need to install some new fixtures? Even an additional desk or floor lamp can brighten the place up.

Other ways to spruce up your office include a colorful paint job, some green plants, or new amenities in the break room. Employees who feel comfortable at work will have more energy in the office they spend so much time in.

4. Offer Incentives

Even with a gelled team and a convivial environment, a little extra push every now and then won’t hurt.

Employee incentives are a great way to spur some extra motivation within your team. They give team members something to strive toward, which is very helpful when the routine nature of work begins to wear them down.

Arranging a friendly competition is a common and effective way companies can offer incentives. Whoever is able to close the most sales or complete the most project tasks can win a prize. If this is the route you choose, make sure everyone feels fairly treated, or their momentum may quickly hit a wall.

Individual development incentives require a more hands-on approach but may be even more motivational. Set benchmarks and incentives for each individual employee to reward them for exceeding past performance. Competing against themselves can be just as inspiring as competition with others.

Remember that your employees are human beings with needs and desires. If they feel like these aren’t being addressed in your workplace, they’ll be willing to look somewhere else.

To retain your best people, seek to motivate all of your employees and make sure they feel fulfilled in their work. They will reciprocate with improved productivity, making your efforts well worth the investment.

Image Credit: Fauxels; Pexels; Thanks!

The Key to a Strong Morning Routine Starts at Night

By Max Palmer | Time Management | No Comments

Not everyone is a morning person. There are many reasons why this might be the case. However, it shouldn’t become a scapegoat for a sorry attitude and lack of productivity each morning. We can all do a little more to make our mornings manageable.

Many so-called “morning people” have found success through daily routines. The routine gets them into a groove that makes starting each day simple and easy. Developing your own daily routine can help you become more of a morning person or at least less of a morning monster.

The important thing to note here is that a strong morning routine doesn’t begin with the sound of an alarm clock. If you want each morning to be successful, you need to start things off the right way the night before. Here are just some of the things you should be doing at night and why they can help you have a great morning.

Stop Staying Up

As Benjamin Franklin said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” While you won’t wake up with a couple of extra IQ points this way, this saying bears a lot of truth. With a regular job, you can’t control when you have to wake up in the morning. What you do have control over is when you get to bed.

The average adult needs at least seven hours of sleep a night. If you’re constantly waking up at 6:30 in the morning, that means you should be sound asleep by 11:30 P.M. To accomplish that, you might need to be in bed with the lights out by 11. Your evening routine should accommodate that timeline.

Try to estimate how long your nightly routine will take. You shouldn’t begin winding down at the time you wish you were asleep; it should start much earlier. You can even time your desired nightly routine to ensure you’re ready for bed in time to get enough sleep.

Turn Off Your Devices

Putting your phone away at night takes a lot of self-control. Admittedly, scrolling through funny videos while lying in bed can be pretty enjoyable. But, unfortunately, late-night screen time can ruin your morning routine before it even begins.

For starters, you can easily get sucked into social media and stay up much later than you originally intended. The later you are awake, the fewer hours of sleep you get. The fewer hours of sleep you get, the harder it will be to wake up in the morning. Feeling grumpy and sluggish in the morning will push your routine all over the place.

The second reason being on your phone at night is terrible for you is because of the blue light. This light, emitted by electronic screens, has been linked to increased rates of attention and reaction times. This is all well and good during the day, but it can get you wired up at night. An extra attentive brain is not going to settle down easily.

Watch What You Eat

If you usually eat an early dinner, right before bed is when you’re going to feel a little snackish. This can be dangerous if not handled properly. Late-night snacking can be bad for your health and your sleep schedule, making it more challenging to begin the next day on the right foot.

Your body doesn’t process food as well while you’re sleeping. So instead of burning calories through regular activity, you’ll store more fat and gain weight more quickly. This can also disturb your circadian rhythm, which is the natural way your body falls asleep and wakes up each day.

What you consume is just as important as when you do. For example, drinking caffeine or alcohol late at night can make it difficult to fall asleep and get enough rest for the following day. Food with high sugar content can also cause some issues, even if they are delicious.

Some foods and beverages are actually suitable for consumption before bed. Cherries, for example, have natural melatonin. Likewise, a cup of tea before bed can help you to relax as long as it doesn’t also contain caffeine.

Plan Ahead

Have you ever lay awake in bed stressing over the events of tomorrow? Unfortunately, this exercise doesn’t usually end up being all that productive. Instead of repeatedly experiencing an existential crisis each night, you should incorporate some planning into your nightly routine. This will help you follow a consistent sleep schedule and set the stage for a solid morning routine.

There are quite a few things you can do at night that make mornings easier. You can pick your outfit for the next day and have it ready and waiting. Pack up anything you’ll need for school or work, so you don’t forget something important during a morning scramble.

You can also go over your schedule for the following day. Got a meeting planned for the first thing in the morning? Get it confirmed the evening prior. A simple confirmation can put your mind at ease and allow you to drift into slumber free from worry.

Fall Into a Routine

Keeping a consistent schedule is perhaps more critical than when you go to bed and wake up each day. Your body cannot adjust to a sporadic sleep schedule. You won’t feel as rested when you wake up at different times each day on varying hours of sleep.

This is an essential point for those who operate on schedules that stray from the norm. Those who work nights, for instance, can’t be expected to wake up at 6 A.M. when that’s the end of their shift. Instead, these individuals will benefit significantly from a consistent sleep schedule that fits their needs.

After a few days, you can start to adjust your own circadian rhythms. Even though you’re working through the night or following another irregular schedule, you can feel awake and refreshed every day. Routines can also help you quickly adjust to different time zones while traveling for business or leisure.

Work on Your Timing

There are plenty of beneficial activities. Sometimes the problem lies in the timing of it all. Moving some activities from night to morning, or vice versa is a small yet simple way to make a huge impact.

Exercise is a prime example. Getting proper daily exercise is vital for your health. However, exercise right before bed can pump your body with adrenaline, making it difficult to fall asleep. So switch that routine to the morning instead, and you’ll wake up your body for the day.

Evening exercise, on the other hand, may be the best of both worlds. It’s early enough that you still have time to calm down for nighttime. You’ll also burn some extra energy, so by the time bedtime actually rolls around; you’ll be sincerely tired. It’s all in the timing.

Consistency cannot be understated when it comes to any one of these takeaways. If you don’t stick with a plan for long, you won’t reap the benefits. Craft a strategy using this guide and plot your progress over a month. You should begin to see how evening and morning routines start to help you feel progressively better.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Maria Tyutina; Pexels; Thank you!

The Key to a Strong Morning Routine Starts at Night was originally published on Calendar.com by Max Palmer.

How to Make Remote Team Meetings Shorter and Better

By Hunter Meine | Business Tips, Time Management | No Comments

Virtual team meetings are essential for remote team collaboration and productivity: they serve as a venue for aligning on shared goals. And, yes — it’s a venue. The team needs to understand that this virtual meeting spot is your hangout, your space, your place, and your venue. This information tells them — we meet here; we belong here.

It doesn’t take much to undermine the magic when team meetings don’t work.

Meetings with no purpose or organization are not only a waste of time, but they also stifle employee productivity and irritate employees. It’s no surprise that many people find meetings inconvenient, boring, useless, and just too frequent.

Do you want your employees to feel that way about your meetings? You want your team to be happy, productive, and active in their work community.

So here we are, with some practical suggestions for doing shorter, more productive meetings while avoiding the common pitfalls of remote work. You want high performance.

1. Should we meet, or should we not meet?

Nobody likes to waste their time in ineffective meetings; therefore, first and foremost:

Consider if you really need a meeting or whether you can get the same outcome with a different approach.

Is it feasible to send an email or a short video message summarizing the significant points of your meeting?

Can you address your problem at the next meeting if your team has recurring sessions to address any changes or impediments?

Avoid the temptation to “invite everyone just in case” and instead focus on the most critical attendees to the meeting’s success.

2. Hold meetings that will benefit your whole team.

According to recent research, 42% of remote workers felt “more productive” after working uninterrupted for an extended period. Conversely, getting everyone in the exact virtual location without disturbing production might be challenging, especially if you’re working with a remote team that spans many time zones.

Before agreeing on a time for your meeting, check calendars to see what people’s working hours are.

Instead of spreading meetings throughout the day, consider grouping them together to create large windows of uninterrupted work time.

Avoid scheduling a lot of emergencies or unexpected meetings since they may cause an employee’s regular workday to crash.

Encourage members of your team to keep track of their own schedules.

As a consequence, meeting planners will have a better understanding of the best days and times for everyone.

3. Make a thorough team meeting strategy.

Setting a clear agenda for each virtual meeting that includes the following things is critical:

In addition, there is a time restriction for each component and crucial talking points.

Attendants

Each team member participates in the meeting according to your expectations.

Any relevant documents

Aside from questions and answers or debate,

Set a meeting time limit and stick to it — you want your meetings to be as productive as possible!

Everyone can prepare if the plan is shared ahead of time.

4. Keep everyone’s attention.

All of the components we’ve described are necessary for a virtual meeting to take place.

But now comes the tricky part: keeping the team engaged throughout the meeting.

You have to work twice as hard to produce realistic, in-person conversations in a virtual environment since you don’t have all of them in an office setting.

Spend a few minutes at the beginning of the meeting checking in with everyone, keeping up with what is happening, or just discussing the most recent series everyone is talking about.

This will strengthen your team’s culture while also fostering an open and welcoming atmosphere.

Also, remember that remote collaboration may be more difficult or stressful than face-to-face collaboration.

According to studies, Microsoft observed that brainwave indications associated with overwork and stress are much higher in video meetings than in non-meeting work.

In a virtual conference, participants must maintain regular eye contact with the screen to extract essential information and stay engaged. Unfortunately, there are few nonverbal cues to assist them in reading the room or knowing when it’s their turn to speak.

To keep your team’s attention and ensure that everyone on the team has a role, try to break up long meetings with little breaks every thirty minutes.

Passive listeners are prone to be bored or distracted, but giving them a role may help them feel like they’re a part of the action.

Who will be taking notes, for example?

Who is in charge of the follow-up?

5. Have a specific team meeting aim in mind before you leave.

Never leave a meeting without clearly conveying your intention and verifying that your meeting objectives were satisfied.

Everyone should walk away from a meeting knowing all there is to know on the following topics:

What are your plans for the future?
Who is responsible for each task?
When is each assignment due?
When will the next meeting be held?

Finally, keep track of your peeps after the meeting so that everyone on your team knows who is working on what and how it is developing.

And — really (bosses) — think about butting out of the meeting at the end and let your virtual team and your office team have a few minutes to chat together — without you sitting there observing.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Artem Podrez; Pexels; Thank you!

How to Make Remote Team Meetings Shorter and Better was originally published on Calendar by Hunter Meine.

What If Your Productivity Tools Are Making You Less Productive?

By John Hall | Business Tips | No Comments

The earliest known form of the to-do list was recorded in 1791 by Benjamin Franklin. Lists are still popular, but digital productivity tools are becoming increasingly important. In addition to Google Calendar, you might use Slack, Zoom, Trello, Asana, or Jira as part of your task-management system.

Moreover, many productivity tools provide features for monitoring behaviors and collecting metrics to improve performance, including:

time tracking;
project management;
delegation;
automation;
user behavior analytics; and
keystroke logging.

Additionally, AI and machine learning are being used to help improve productivity. Take, as an example, Calendar. It uses machine learning to analyze past data to make intelligent suggestions on when to schedule your next meeting. Calendar even suggests who to invite and where.

In short, these tools certainly serve a purpose.

And, even better, they’re packed with advantages. Mainly the fact that these tools can assist with time and project management. For instance, time tracking tools or employee monitoring software can see when and where you or your team are wasting valuable time. Knowing this can help prevent distractions and create more realistic schedules.

As a result, there’s less stress involved. Consider that over 70% of employees worry about stress at work. So we have life stressors on the job that can cut into productivity. Moreover, this can help achieve a work-life balance. And while not always top of mind, this can bolster productivity, morale, and engagement.

But that’s not all. These tools can also help with everything from employee collaboration to creating estimates for clients. There is no wonder, then, that the global productivity management system market was valued at USD 47.33 billion in 2021. And is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.8% between 2022 and 2030.

But, as with all things in life, too much of anything can be harmful. And that’s undoubtedly true with productivity tools. These tools can actually make you less productive.

Tools for productivity aren’t meant to do your job for you.

Most productivity tools do as promised. Take Todoist as an example. In Todoist, you can organize your tasks by project and record them. Think of this as an upgraded to-do list. Besides recording and organizing your own tasks, the app lets you share and assign tasks with others.

Here’s the thing, though. The app isn’t going to generate a to-do list for you. That’s on you. It’s like wanting to step up your cooking game by buying a shiny, new cookware set. Even though you have all the right equipment, the meals aren’t going to cook themselves.

Productivity tools are like having a kitchen full of equipment but not knowing how to use them. In other words, if you don’t have the motivation and determination to be productive, then there is no tool (or) app that can help you.

Searching for tools is unproductive.

Looking for an app or tool to make you productive? There’s an app for that. Even though having various options is nothing to sneeze at, it can be challenging to find and settle on the right one.

In addition, tools with premium features make things more challenging. Why? It’s impossible to decide whether to use an app based on the free features it offers.

Moreover, the pursuit of better productivity tools will leave you with many options to choose from, which could be overwhelming. And you may not be satisfied with any of them.

Research has found that when people have too many choices, they tend to be dissatisfied and regret their decisions more. Therefore, spending too much time looking for productivity products is detrimental to your productivity and happiness.

There may be a learning curve for some tools.

Have you ever purchased a new board game? Unfortunately, some of these games can be so detailed that a complex set of rules accompanies them. As a result, you might spend most of your game night learning the rules instead of actually playing the game.

It can be the same with new productivity tools. They can take a lot of time to get used to — especially for more complex applications with different user interfaces. As such, it’s possible that learning how to use a new software will take up more time and energy than actually using it.

Work-related distractions.

In a study conducted by GoTo’s, 54% of respondents reported frequently using five different computer programs at once. For example, during a video conference call with a client across the country, an employee may write an email, shop for clothes, text their significant other, and schedule a meeting.

Furthermore, Udemy reported in 2018 that 36% of Millennials/Gen Z spend more than two hours daily on their phones for personal purposes. Moreover, U.S. employees switch between 13 applications on average 30 times daily, as per Asana’s Anatomy of Work Index 2021.

While this may seem innocent enough, bouncing between productivity tools isn’t just distracting. It also drains your energy. This is called “context-switching.” And, it’s responsible for losing five hours per week.

In other words, many tools take up a lot of time. But, let’s be more specific.

Companies want their teams to have the best collaboration tools, apps, and devices to get work done efficiently. For this reason, most workplaces provide employees with specialized tools to meet various needs, such as messaging, conference calls, project collaboration, etc.

Every tool indeed has a role. However, employees may be wasting their valuable time. Again, this is because they are switching between too many programs, forgetting to record billable hours, or missing messages from clients if they have to log onto too many programs.

A lot of mistakes are being made.

In continuation of the previous point, employees are making relationship-damaging mistakes. The reason is because of the hindrances and multi-modal multitasking mentioned above. According to the GoTo study, being distracted has caused 57% of respondents to send an email to the wrong person. Also, 33% sent an email or chat before they were ready, and 23% talked badly about someone in a chat.

Information overload.

“Our lives and work are increasingly digital,” Almuth McDowall, professor of organizational psychology at Birkbeck, University of London, told the BBC. “But it’s a complex world, and there is an information overload. Good apps, well used, can help us to negotiate this. But there is still a question of whether we’re really interested in becoming more productive, or simply ‘doing more to seem effective.’”

Employees are certainly experiencing software overload, according to data. According to a study conducted in 2018, operational support workers switch between 35 different applications over 1,100 times during the course of a day. In most highly industrialized countries, productivity is shrinking despite an abundance of apps and tools, while burnout is rising.

“Evidence shows that working hours and the time that we spend in online meetings is increasing, so it may be that we are working harder, not smarter,” suggests McDowall. “Why are we not getting better at managing the quality of our output?”

There are multiple locations where work is being done.

Another problem of app or tool overload? There is a lot of information scattered around, making finding it difficult.

According to Qatalog and Cornell University research, 54% of people find it harder to find information with apps. Another 43% are tired of changing communication channels and tools constantly.

In other words, you may lose productivity due to adding new tools to your workspace.

Skills are more important than anything else.

“A company can invest in the latest productivity software,” writes Aytekin Tank, Founder and CEO of Jotform. “Roll it out with top-notch technical training. And yes, its employees will become whizzes…at using the software.” It won’t always result in increased productivity, though.

Personal productivity is no different. “The cleverest app in the world won’t make a blind difference if you don’t have an existing framework to support it with,” he adds.

“You need to know where to tap.”

First, consider the methodology. Then, Tank says, you can decide what tools you need – if any.

You can find where your workflow has holes by stripping it down to its bare essentials. For example, the following strategies might be helpful rather than wondering what productivity app or tool to download:

Reduce. Humans aren’t great at estimating time. As such, don’t give yourself more time but less. In this way, you can distinguish between urgent and filler tasks.
Assess. You will be most alert and productive if you work with your body clock. Once you’ve got a rhythm going, work in timed, highly focused sprints. Tracking your progress and setting boundaries will also be easier with this approach.
Eliminate. Instead of having a never-ending to-do list, focus only on tasks that will have the most impact.

“When it comes to productivity, there’s no magic bullet,” adds Tank. “The latest tool or app will only enhance what’s already there, which is why you need to create a well-oiled system.”

Image Credit: Cottonbro; Pexels; Thank you!

What If Your Productivity Tools Are Making You Less Productive? was originally published on Calendar by John Hall.

5 Tips for Encouraging Team Collaboration

By Jason Barnes | Business Tips | No Comments

Collaboration has become a popular trend in the workplace, especially as it offers many benefits. For one, it helps employees feel more connected to one another. Working together as a team can also breed new ideas and enhance creativity, positively impacting your business and employees.

With that said, collaboration doesn’t always come naturally.

Not every company is set up to make working as a team a priority. Not to mention, with remote working, it can be difficult to connect in a meaningful way. This brief article can help. Here are five tips to encourage team collaboration.

1. Integrate the Right Technology

In today’s remote work environment, there’s a good chance your workers are spread out. Because of that, collaborating might not come as naturally.

It makes sense; communicating and forming connections can be difficult virtually. But there are ways you can make this easier for your team. Consider integrating technology that can help teams come together regardless of where they’re located.

For example, a communication platform, like Slack, ensures employees can chat, call, and even video call one another from anywhere. Project management platforms, like Asana and Monday.com, make it easy for teams to track and manage their projects online.

Having the right technology can go a long way in encouraging your team to work together. It can also help streamline tasks, and in turn, help your business grow.

Just make sure you do your research before adopting any type of technology to ensure it’ll work for your team.

2. Focus on Company Culture

Do you want your team to work together? Make sure that’s reflected within your company culture.

According to research, almost 50% of active job seekers say a company’s culture plays a role in why they’re looking for a new job. Creating a company culture that focuses on collaboration, honesty, and transparency can help you attract and retain the right employees.

There are several reasons why employees might not work jointly.

Sure, working remotely can play a role. But if your employees don’t feel valued or important, they’re less likely to share their ideas. On the other hand, when employees feel like their opinions matter, they might welcome the chance to collaborate with their teammates.

One way to create this type of company culture is to lead by example. Make sure you’re cooperative with the rest of the leadership team as well as your employees. Have an open door policy, and make it clear that you respect and want to hear from your team.

3. Set Clear Expectations

The first step to encouraging team collaboration is to set clear expectations.

You need to make it clear to employees that you expect them to work with one another. After all, how can they make this a goal if they were never told to?

Consider discussing the importance of collaboration during the interview process or while you’re onboarding new hires. The sooner you prioritize teamwork, the more likely your employees are to adapt to this mindset.

Integrating technology, as mentioned above, is a great start. With that said, having this software is just one step.

It’s also important your employees know that software exists and how to use it. This might mean scheduling a meeting with your team detailing how to use the technology. You could also create a step-by-step guide and send it out via email.

It’s crucial employees have the resources and the education needed to collaborate effectively.

4. Encourage Team Bonding

On a scale of 1 to 10, how comfortable do you feel working with people you don’t know? Many people answer that question with a low number. That’s often because it can be scary to share ideas with strangers.

To help your employees feel more comfortable, consider hosting regular team bonding events.

These could be company-wide or something you request supervisors do with their specific teams. Either way, it’ll provide employees the chance to connect. And don’t worry, these events can be also hosted virtually thanks to video calls. All you have to do is find a time and send an invite to get everyone together.

If you’re struggling to come up with team bonding activities, keep it simple. Your employees are busy, so having hour-long team bonding activities multiple times a week isn’t a good idea. On the other hand, scheduling a team bonding activity for an hour each month could work well.

5. Offer Praise

According to research, about 80% of employees say they feel better when recognized in the workplace.

It’s no secret that praise can help employees feel happier. The happier an employee the more productive they are at work.

You might be wondering exactly what this has to do with team collaboration. It’s simple really.

If you want your team to work together more often, consider praising those who do. For instance, maybe a group of co-workers got together to brainstorm an idea that ended up working well. Take the time to congratulate them.

You could even do it publicly, as that can help employees feel more recognized. This could be during a team meeting or on a designated board. This can boost morale and reinforce the importance of collaboration with your other workers.

Having a team that successfully works together in the workplace is an essential part of helping your company succeed. However, it’s not always easy to enforce, especially in today’s work-from-home environment. Luckily, the tips above can help.

Image Credit: Jonathan Borba; Pexels; Thanks!