Office dynamics can be tricky at the best of times, and your agency is no exception. Hurt feelings, loss of productivity, and demotivated workers are problems that can and will crop up if you aren't careful.
With that in mind, here are a few ways we have come up with to keep your office running smoothly and your employees happy.
Implement Clear Goals
The point of goal setting in any organization is to provide clear plans for workers. Without end goals, your organization is essentially floundering in the dark. Demotivating employees who can feel like they have no direction for their efforts. Providing short and long-term goals will give your team something to shoot for and allow you to monitor their progress.
There are a few things to remember when setting goals for your staff. The first is to be specific. Make sure your workers have a clear understanding of what exactly you have asked them to do. The second is to set deadlines. A clear goal is all well and good, but the second part of that is to provide timelines for your employees to guide their work.
There are a few things to remember when setting goals for your staff. The first is to be specific. Make sure your workers have a clear understanding of what exactly you have asked them to do. The second is to set deadlines. A clear goal is all well and good, but the second part of that is to provide timelines for your employees to guide their work.
Measure Progress
Once you have set your goals and communicated with your team, the next step is to ensure they are progressing on pace. Measuring the performance of your employees is tricky, however, and can be done poorly. Being too overbearing, micromanaging, and only providing negative feedback are bad management tactics done far too often. Studies have shown that over-management is correlated with demoralized employees and loss of productivity. So, how can we make sure your staff is keeping up with their tasks without having a negative effect?
Software that tracks sales for your agents is a great way to keep up to date while staying out of their way and not putting too much pressure on them. For staff with fewer metrics-based jobs like Human Resources, the best thing to do is hold regular meetings with the team and hire skilled managers. You can also invite employees to self-report their progress and limit your involvement.
Communicate Openly
Just as you require transparency from your team, so too should you be transparent with them. Communicating reliably with your employees will make them feel more valued. Providing regular updates on the status of your agency gives everyone working for you with a sense of the bigger picture.
The best way to accomplish this is through newsletters, which can be sent out regularly. For updates with a more specific audience, your agents, for example, a written letter from the head of the department or a manager would be another excellent choice.
Encourage Employee Perspectives
One thing we all want as humans is to be heard. Encouraging employees to share ideas privately or in public (Your progress meetings would be a great place for this) has been shown to boost morale and lead to better profits for your agency. But it only works if you show you take their feedback seriously. If it is a good idea, implement it, if it is not something that would work, explain why. Your agency should also champion more experienced members of your teams, creating more touchpoints for employees to give feedback.
You can also think about following up with ideas from your employees. Either putting them in charge of projects or informing them of the progress you are making. This will provide a greater sense of belonging and encourage others to speak up as well.
You can also think about following up with ideas from your employees. Either putting them in charge of projects or informing them of the progress you are making. This will provide a greater sense of belonging and encourage others to speak up as well.
Show Appreciation
Although it takes more effort on your part, a welcoming and caring work culture is a great asset to your agency. As we have said before, listening to ideas, providing snacks, and investing in your employees' personal lives will empower your staff. Even a word of praise or two will go a long way to making your workers feel appreciated. As they say “ a thank you is free”. Which in turn leads to better productivity and smoother workplace dynamics.
Not everything has to be doughnuts and pats on the back. Material change can be a good sign you appreciate your employees. Promoting from within your agency, putting employees in charge of new initiatives, and bonuses for good work are also excellent rewards.
Of course, office problems will still arise. Coffee machines will break, meetings will be missed, and tensions will flair. But with the tips in this article, you can ensure your office runs as smoothly as it can.
