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How Leaders Unintentionally Create Roadblocks to Their Team's Productivity

The Business Mechanic Podcast with Vaughn Sigmon

Release Date: 03/07/2023

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Do you ever feel like your team could do so much more if only they weren't held back by certain roadblocks?

In this podcast, we'll take a look at some of the most common roadblocks that leaders unintentionally create and explore some solutions for how to overcome them.

Leaders unintentionally create roadblocks to their team's productivity by creating an environment of distrust. Well, the roadblocks may be created by you. How? We'll look at how communication and time management can help leaders build trust with their team and remove these roadblocks.

Download Effective Time Management Strategies

Leaders unintentionally create roadblocks to their team's productivity by creating confusion about what is a priority and clear guidelines regarding communication channels, allowing autonomy to get their work done without constantly creating conflicting directions.

The true measure of success is getting the job done, not necessarily how long it takes. Linda in accounting may be busy for a few hours each day, but if her work produces results - happy vendors and paid team members - then she has efficiently proved her worth! As business owners and managers ourselves, we must prioritize our 24-hour days, investing effort into those activities that drive meaningful progress towards bigger goals. If you aren't spending your time doing something valuable to advance your company's mission, then what are you really working on?

·        When a leader is unclear about what they want, they cause confusion among those they lead. This can happen when leaders don't clearly communicate their vision or expectations or when they change course without letting their team know. When your employees are confused about what's expected of them, they'll feel frustrated and unproductive. It may be perfectly clear in your mind but is it in theirs?

·        In addition to creating confusion, leaders can unintentionally create roadblocks to their team's productivity by providing unclear guidance on how information should be shared between departments or teams within an organization. If your employees don't know how to share information effectively or efficiently, you're likely to see time wasted on inefficient communication. This can lead to frustration and decreased productivity on the part of your employees if they're spending too much time trying to figure out how best to get their work done instead of actually doing it!

·        Establish clear expectations and time for response guidelines. When to use slack or messaging, and what is the time for response expectation? , When to send an email and response time expectation., When to call, and if a voicemail is left, how long should it take to get a response?

·        When to get up and go talk to someone, and are there times or signs that it is not appropriate to interrupt that person?

·        When leaders provide unclear guidance on how information should be shared between departments or teams within an organization (i.e., "just get it done"), you'll likely see time wasted. Get it done by when and by whom?

·        What form of communication should be used if something is a rush priority? Is their some sort of signal that should be included, such as 911?

·        What form of communication should be used if something is of low priority but important?

As a leader, you might be doing everything in your power to lead your team toward productivity and success. You might have a clear vision of what needs to be done, have all the resources available, and even communicate your expectations to your team members. However, despite all your efforts, you might find that your team is not meeting the productivity levels that you had envisioned. If this is the case, it might be worth exploring whether you unintentionally create roadblocks to your team's productivity. In this blog, we will explore some common ways leaders unknowingly impede their team's productivity.

 

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