Written by: Kevin Gardner
When it comes to work life, there are a lot of ways that we get distracted from the job. We often get pulled away from a productive mindset by phone calls, computer games, and even our co-workers. It’s easy to get distracted and be less efficient during work, especially if you’re being paid by the hour rather than by project you finish. The problem is that a lot of small companies don’t have the resources than larger companies do to increase productivity. Luckily, there are free resources that you can take advantage of to make sure that you’re able to better focus.
Here are the top 3 free resources that all small companies should be using. 1. Productivity Timer
One of the best tools that you can use in the workplace is the “productivity timer.” Studies have shown that people work and focus better when they have a set amount of time that they will work for and then a set amount of time that they get to have a break. Most people function best when the time is on a 30 to 5 ratio. This means that you have 30 minutes of high efficiency and productivity and then a 5-minute break. It encourages intense periods of focus and then allows your mind to have the perfect amount of break before starting again.
This is something that doesn’t have to be applied in the entire workplace but would be great for individuals who are interested in giving it a shot. You could even have incentives for those who are willing to try the productivity timer . Best of all, the timer is free. There are hundreds of free timing apps that you can use for this, and you don’t have to spend a penny on it.
2. Team Chats and Team Resources
Miscommunication is one of the biggest culprits of inefficiency. When managers miscommunicate with employees, it leads to confusion. Jobs start to overlap, and people become confused with what their role in the company is. If this happens, the efficiency of the business plummets. To help, try using an app where all of your employees can interact and feel safe asking questions of one another.
A great free resource that does this is Slack. Slack is a messaging app meant for small companies that allows the employees to easily interact. It also solves the privacy problem because it doesn’t require anyone to exchange emails or phone numbers. It also allows for you to either message groups, individuals, or the whole business when certain needs arise. You can create groups of members on the app so that everyone is getting the information that they need to know. If your team uses apps like this efficiently, it helps the communication of the business go a whole lot smoother.
3. Communal Calendar
Just like a company should be able to communicate with each other about questions and concerns, they also need to have a way to be aware of meetings and other scheduling needs. Often, this comes down to miscommunication as well. Most companies don’t have a way for everyone to see when there are meetings and other required events. Luckily, there are a lot of free resources that are meant to solve this problem. You can use a Google Calendar for this which allows people to see and edit the calendar. There are other apps that do the same thing. This is one of the best small business tools that you can use because it keeps everyone from managers to new employees on the same page. It helps people to be aware of the needs of the company as well. Allow everyone to have access to the calendar, and it will help your employees to be more aware of the things that are expected of them.
With the right tools, increasing productivity in the workplace is easy. You need to focus on the needs of the employees and make sure that they understand their roles. Use these free resources to help clarify and encourage yourself and the other employees to be the best workers that you all can be.