Proven Ways To Improve Work Performance From Anywhere

Organizational psychologist Theodor Schultz said that ” the average person is working harder than ever but getting less done than ever ”. This quote could not be more true in today’s day and age.

As a result of the outbreak of Covid, businesses have been forced to adapt quickly, resulting in many employees working remotely.

However, this arrangement comes with its own set of challenges. According to reports, Nearly 6 in 10 individuals in the United States work full-time or part-time remotely, and half of those say the work is more challenging.

If you work in an isolated environment, you will lose focus and motivation. In addition, managing childcare and other family responsibilities can be a major source of stress. Thus, some employees may suffer from poor work performance.

So, improving work performance has become a priority for both employees and businesses. But how does one improve work performance?

Therefore, in this article, we’ve suggested some proven and easy ways to improve the work performance of employees anywhere.

Why Does Work Performance Matters In A Workplace?

A good performance at work ensures that organizational goals are clearly achieved. It further helps improve employee productivity, ensures smooth communication, helps lower overhead costs, and increases profit for the company.

Some more reasons why work performance matters can be discussed as:

1. Successful Employees Achieve Goals

Successful employees are usually highly organized and goal-oriented. They make a point of setting clear objectives and developing actionable plans for achieving them.

They’re also good at staying focused and on track, even when faced with distractions or setbacks. Additionally, successful employees are often great at networking and building relationships.

They understand the importance of maintaining strong professional connections and are always looking for ways to expand their network. By adopting these habits, you can increase your chances of achieving success in your career as well as learn new skills.

2. Good Work Performance Fosters Positive And Energetic Workplace Environment

When employees are encouraged to do their best work, rather than just churn out as much work as possible, they feel more engaged and motivated. And when employees are engaged and motivated, they’re more productive.

It’s a positive feedback loop that starts with each individual employee doing their best work. From there, the whole workplace environment becomes more positive and energetic, leading to even better work performance from everyone involved.

3. Well Performing Employees Motivate Others

People are motivated by different things. Some are driven by the desire to achieve personal success, while others are motivated by the prospect of helping others. Well-performing employees tend to be motivated by both of these factors.

They not only want to achieve their own goals, but they also want to contribute to the success of their team or company. As a result, they tend to be highly motivating for those around them.

Well-performing employees tend to possess a strong work ethic and a positive attitude.

They set high standards for themselves and are always striving to improve. This often rubs off on those around them, raising the bar for everyone.

A low-performing employee will thus search for ways to improve work performance and learn new skills for himself.

In addition, well-performing employees are usually excellent communicators. They know how to inspire and motivate others through their words and actions. As a result, they often have a profound impact on those around them.

Read More: Top 10 Ways To Motivate Your Employees ✌️🤝

4. Successful Work Performance Helps Set New Goals, Increase Profits, And Breed Professionalism

Good work performance helps set goals, increase profits, and breed professionalism. Goals become attainable when employees see the connection between their daily tasks and the company’s bottom line.

Likewise, increased profit fundraisers, bonuses, and other incentives serve as motivation for workers to maintain high levels of productivity.

Finally, professionalism breeds a culture of respect and cooperation that leads to even better work performance. When everyone is working towards the same goals and cooperating with one another, it creates an atmosphere of success that is reflected in the quality of the work.

Consequences of Workplace Distraction

Workplace distraction has become a major problem that companies need to tackle in recent years.

According to a Team stage report, approximately 50% of employees say their phones distract them at work, while 98% say they are interrupted at least three or four times a day during work hours.

Distractions can also cause employees to commit twice as many errors as usual, according to the same report.

In the workplace, distractions can have a number of negative consequences for both employees and employers.

For employees,

Distractions can lead to decreased work performance and missed deadlines.
Employees may rush to work after getting distracted as a result, giving lower quality work,
In addition, distractions can also lead to increased stress levels and anxiety among employees destroying mental health and hampering professional development.

For employers,

Workplace distractions can lead to decreased productivity, lower morale, and higher turnover rates for employers.
Employers can face a situation of less profitability due to workplace distractions.
In some cases, workplace distractions may even pose a safety hazard.

Therefore, it is important to be aware of the potential consequences of workplace distractions and take steps to minimize them.

Tips To Remove Workplace Distractions

Managing distractions during work can be a major issue for employees. If you are an employee looking for ways to boost your productivity and improve your focus, here are six tips to help you eliminate distractions in the workplace:

Turn Off Notifications

Whether it’s email, social media, or calendar reminders, constant notifications can be a major distraction. If possible, disable all notifications on your computer and phone so you can focus on the task at hand.

Get Up And Move

Sitting in the same spot all day can make it easier to lose focus. Instead of staying glued to your desk, take a walk around the office or step outside for some fresh air.

Moving your body will help to increase blood flow and energy levels, making it easier to concentrate.

Take Breaks(But not long)

Working for long periods of time without a break can actually lead to decreased productivity. When you start feeling overwhelmed or bogged down, take a few minutes to step away from your work and clear your head.

Go for a quick walk, grab a cup of coffee, or chat with a colleague. Then, once you’re refreshed, you’ll be able to dive back in with renewed focus. Additionally, some employees find that using free coupons for local cafes or restaurants during breaks can provide a welcome mental break without straining their budgets.

Set Limits On Distractions

If there are certain tasks that require your full attention, set limits on how often you allow yourself to be distracted by other things. The Pomodoro Technique can be a big help in this endeavor.

For example, if you’re working on a project that requires concentration, only allow yourself to check email or social media every hour or two. This way, you’ll still be able to stay connected without letting distractions interfere with your work.

Create A Productive Work Environment

The way your workspace is set up can either help or hinder your productivity levels.

Make sure your desk is uncluttered and organized so you can easily find what you need when you need it. And if possible, choose a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed by noise or activity from others around you.

By taking these steps to create a more productive environment, you’ll find it easier to stay focused and get work done.

Read more: Further Tips To Create And Maintain A Healthy Work Environment 👨‍💻🍀

Create A Realistic To-Do List

You can also create a practical to-do list for the day and try to stick to it as much as possible. Your to-do list needs to be simple and easily achievable.

The more tasks you add to your to-do list, the more likely you are to become overwhelmed with unnecessary tasks that negatively affect your daily work performance.

Benefits Of No Distraction In The Workplace

With constant email and social media notifications, not to mention the general noise and bustle of a busy office, it can be difficult to stay focused on work. However, there are some definite benefits to having a distraction-free workplace.

Increased Employee Productivity

Employees are more productive when they’re not constantly being interrupted by outside distractions. They are able to work more efficiently and get more done in less time.

A recent study found that the average IT office worker is interrupted or distracted every three to eleven minutes.

So, breaking the constant stream of interruptions often leads to increased productivity, increased focus, and less stress.

Improved Workplace Interactions

Fewer workplace distractions can promote better communication. When workers are not constantly interrupted, they have the opportunity to have fuller conversations and exchange ideas more freely.

With proper communication, workflow improves, team collaboration improves, and the tasks can be streamlined. This helps meet deadlines, improve job performance, increase sales, boost profits, and provide better performance.

Good Quality Of Work

Having fewer distractions can help to improve the quality of work. When workers are able to give their full attention to a task, they are more likely to catch errors and produce higher-quality work.

Good quality work is appreciated by every employer. Delivering proper quality work means self-improvement, professional development, as well as improvement of the company.

Error-free tasks can help employees get better attention and improve their prospects in a company. It can also help the company deliver good tasks to their clients making customer satisfaction improve.

Improved memory, Attention Span, and Less Stress

Getting less distracted at work can help employees improve their memory and comprehension.

As the mind is not constantly thinking about the task at hand, the task remains in the subconscious. This affects the proper function of the brain.

On the other hand, if distractions are removed, it is easy for employees to complete their tasks. After completing a task, the employee can release that task from their mind, reducing their stress levels.

One can then focus their attention on other important stuff. This further improves the attention span as the employees can now dedicate more time to the things that are important.

Learn More: Remote Team Productivity and Distraction Management Tips For Remote Employees 👨🏻‍💼💪

Fast & Easy Ways To Improve Work Performance

At work, we are often asked to do more with less. An average employee is only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes per day. While improving productivity through good job performance may seem like an impossible task, there are actually a number of ways to improve work performance.

Prioritizing Big Task First

Prioritizing big tasks first helps you organize your to-do list effectively. Then, if you have to leave your desk, you only have to complete those important tasks that can be deferred.

Schedule time at the start of each day to work on what’s most important so that it receives your full attention. You can boost your productivity and quality by implementing techniques like the Rapid Planning Method (RPM).

Delegating Tasks Whenever Possible

It’s normal to have a lengthy to-do list as a manager or team leader. Knowing when you are overburdened is part of solid management skills.

So, consider delegating some work tasks. Assign tasks to team members in chunks and provide them with clear instructions. You can count on them to get everything done for you.

Clearing Your Workspace

It can be distracting to have a cluttered desk. Don’t let anything distract you from the task at hand. Keep only what you need.

If you’re in the process of closing tabs, close the ones you’re not using. It is also beneficial to your mental health to declutter your computer.

So, consider clearing your workplace as soon as possible to improve your work performance.

Keeping Yourself Healthy

The brain is known to be happy when it’s exercised and nourished. Your workday should begin on a positive note every morning.

Early morning walks outside, and a good breakfast can help you focus, feel energetic, and be motivated.

Communicating Clearly At Work

When you communicate effectively, you work as a team and perform better collectively.

Every member of the team must know exactly what their role is and when it needs to be done. It is also necessary to communicate when you are approaching capacity.

This way, others will know not to overburden you. It is therefore important to have effective communication at work in order to perform better.

Taking Short Breaks Whenever Possible

Eight consecutive hours of productivity aren’t in your body’s nature. You may need a break if your attention wanders while you are working. Consider taking a break rather than tackling it.

Spend a few minutes walking, stretching, or grabbing a drink at a nearby cafe each day to keep yourself feeling good.

Your focus will be enhanced after taking a short break. In fact, more than 90% of employees in North America say that taking a lunch break makes them motivated to go back to work.

Limiting Distractions

Almost everyone knows this tip but seldom follows it: don’t let distractions overwhelm you. Unfortunately, distractions cannot be completely avoided all the time.

It is therefore a good idea to schedule your important tasks clearly in your work calendar.

While you are focusing on the task at hand, turn off your email alerts, silence your phone, and shut your office door. This immensely helps improve your work performance.

Setting Clear And Achievable Goals

Setting clear goals is another one of many ways to improve work performance

However, your goals should be realistic. The goal of all of us is to be super-productive. However, one should always be careful of their energy levels, and how much one can accomplish in a day.

The best way to stay on track is to break down large goals into smaller, clear ones. Set achievable goals so you won’t harm yourself or burn yourself out trying to do more than you’re capable of.

Avoiding Multitasking

Multitasking may seem efficient, but you are less efficient when you switch between tasks. Research studies show that multitasking reduces your work productivity by 40%.

You probably aren’t getting as much done as you think if you’re writing a report between sending emails. Pick one thing to work on and stick with it instead of juggling multiple tasks.

How Can You Measure Work Performance?

There are a variety of ways to measure work performance. Two common methods are productivity measures and quality measures.

Productivity measures focus on the quantity of work that is produced, such as the number of units produced per hour.

Quality measures, on the other hand, focus on the quality of the work that is produced. This can be done by conducting quality assurance audits or customer satisfaction surveys.

Additionally, employers can also ask employees for feedback on their own performance.

By taking a comprehensive approach to measuring work performance, employers can get a clear picture of which employees are meeting expectations and which ones need improvement.

Also Read: Most Important Productivity Management Metrics 📈📊

Tools to Measure Work Performance

Having the right tools is necessary if you want to properly measure the work performance of your employees. These tools will help employers measure work performance in a fast and efficient way.

timeTracko – Best Workforce Analysis And Productivity Software

timeTracko is a workplace monitoring and productivity software that monitors your employee’s time and attendance and records their work. It further helps measure employee performance based on their work time and provides performance reports based on the data.

timeTracko can be very useful in tracking the work and idle time of the employees, evaluating team performance, taking screenshots of the employee screen to get an exact measure of what the employee is doing, and many other aspects.

Features:

Record time and attendance of employees.
Capture screenshots of the computer for real-time monitoring.
Evaluate work time, idle time, and productive and unproductive app usage of employees.
Generate performance reports and usage statistics to monitor employee work performance.

The software is the best software to organize the workforce and better manage the employees. It further helps in self- improvement of employees, setting priorities, collaboration as a team, achieving company goals, and increasing profits.

Basecamp – Best For Project Management And Team Communication

If you want to track the tasks and performance of employees on a remote team, Basecamp is a great tool for you.

With Basecamp, you can see in real-time your employees’ progress on assignments and organize everything in one place.

It also shows managers what each employee intends to work on for the day and whether they have completed their list by the end of the day. Your team can manage their own workload by eliminating unnecessary communication between both parties.

Features:

Generate reports on which employee is working on what project.
Create to-do lists for different tasks and assign them to the team.
Track the progress of a project with charts and graphs.
Real-time communication chat platforms and integration with Google Docs.

Trello – Team Project Management And Productivity Analysis

Projects are organized into columns on different boards in Trello, which is a work and project management tool.

This tool keeps everyone in your team informed about project progress and helps visualize the workflow. To-do lists can be created monthly or weekly for each employee, cards for specific projects to monitor progress and columns for phases.

As teams add users to project cards and automate processes, they can stay on top of what they’re working on.

Employees and management can also communicate on their own terms with the notification feature, rather than using email or other messaging platforms to communicate back and forth.

Features:

View and analyze the team performance.
Automate tasks and workflows.
Ensure successful task completion with templates and integrations.

PerformYard – HR Performance Management Platform For Employers

Through the use of PerformYard’s performance management platform, employees can participate in performance management through project-based reviews, rating scales, 360 reviews, continuous feedback, and cascading goals.

A better way to communicate with HR teams and managers is for employees to focus on the feedback they receive through the application. This makes PerformYard one of the best project management tools.

Features:

Review Feature to perform continuous and anonymous reviews, self-assessment, and employee check-ins.
Goal Management feature to visualize and keep track of organizational goals.
Perform one-on-one, and team feedback, employee recognition, and take notes through the Continuous Feedback feature.

Conclusion

To sum up, work performance matters immensely in a workplace. While distractions make it difficult for both employers and employees to deliver proper work, removing workplace distractions can have many benefits.

Moreover, improving work performance is a critical factor for self-improvement and improving the company’s status.

With the various ways mentioned above as well as the right tools, one can remove workplace distractions, improve work performance, measure the performance of the employees, create a good work culture, and achieve company goals.

FAQs

Why monitor work performance?

You monitor work performance to find out which employees are doing their job well, gain a comprehensive understanding of employee growth, create a progressive work environment, limit workplace distractions, boost sales, increase profits, and achieve goals.

How can poor work performance be managed?

Poor work performance can be managed by clarifying the core performance issues, addressing these issues, taking proper feedback, giving out warnings, getting clear about an employee’s strengths and weaknesses, encouraging accountability, and giving proper counselling.

What are the factors for measuring work performance?

Some factors for measuring work performance are technical and interpersonal skills and their application, being committed to deadlines, having a strong work ethic, growth, and self-improvement, leadership skills, and more.