A Five Step Plan To Getting Your Team Organized
Hive is the project and process management tool behind some of the most productive teams in the world. Learn about how we can help your team here.
Team work is at the core of the modern working world. No one person can successfully run a business, project or initiative all by themselves (unless you’re a super human or know something I don’t), so collaboration is inevitable. And with a multi-person team come dueling personalities, differing priorities and opposing work styles — all of which can derail even the most cohesive teams.
At our core, Hive is all about increasing productivity, collaboration and team work, which is why we’ve rounded up our top five steps for team organization and productivity. Read ahead for the secrets to getting your company running as smoothly as the 1995 Chicago Bulls.
#1: Streamline Communication
Open and consistent communication is one of the most important, if not the most important, aspects of working as a team. Without effective communication, there can be no goal setting, definition of roles and responsibilities, or collaboration. Good communication in the workplace is also proven to aid in increased trust, morale and productivity as a result.
While there’s not one size fits all way to ensure your team is communicating perfectly, you can mandate that the team use one specific tool, i.e. Skype, Microsoft Teams, or Slack, to communicate. This allows for consistent and reliable communication across the organization. There are also tools, like Hive, that serve as a project management tool with a native chat built-in. Win win.
#2: Ditch the Meetings
We all know how it feels to be stuck in back-to-back meetings. You’re tired, probably bored, and aren’t actually getting that much done. There’s plenty of research that’s been done to prove that meetings often hinder productivity, especially when there are no clear action items planned. Wasted time is most egregious for execs, who are losing an average of 8 hours a week to pointless meetings.
Moral of the story? Ditch the meetings unless there are clear action items that you need to discuss, brainstorm or talk through in person.
#3: Centralize File Sharing and To-dos
There’s a reason project management tools have become so prevalent at companies all over the world.
77% of high performing projects use project management tools, and a tool’s benefits include an increase in company-wide transparency (aka being able to see what everyone else is working on), bolstered teamwork, increased prioritization, better communication, and improved time management.
If you’re interested in playing around with a PM tool to see if they make sense for your team, Hive has a 14-day free trial that can be accessed here.
#4: Schedule Weekly 1-on-1s
This is one of the instances when an in-person meeting is actually super valuable. Having face-to-face time with your manager or direct report is an incredibly important part of building trust, recognition, and bolstering communication. And since employees associate recognition from employers with happiness, which affects productivity, it’s in your everyone’s best interest that you spend this time with your direct reports.
#5: Conduct Regular Strategic Planning Sessions
Without a north star, it’s hard for employees to really focus and be their most productive selves. Strategic planning helps identify goals and success metrics for your business — it’s like writing an outline before you start writing the paper, and it helps guide, focus, and encourage the team. Including the whole of your team during this process and communicating future plans clearly is also incredibly valuable, as it makes employees feel valued, heard and respected.
Whether you’re planning on a quarterly, half, or yearly basis, communicating goals and strategic initiatives with employees is imperative, and if you’re not sure where to start, you can download Hive’s Strategic Planning template to kick things off.
Let us know if you’ve utilized any of these tools to increase team organization and productivity across your organization, and share any additional tips with us in the comments below.
