Common IT Productivity Mistakes Even Experienced Managers Make

Productivity is an important trait of an IT project that determines its capability to turn a profit. There are many methods project managers use to ensure productivity at a workplace. However, not all methods work. In some cases, the productivity improvement techniques may be what’s going wrong. Let’s look at some major productivity mistakes IT specialists and managers make:

Not Spotting Communication Mistakes

A productive workplace is an environment where employees do their best during office hours. What makes a project or a task successful is group coherence among all that participate. What keeps the group together is seamless communication. So, to improve productivity at any workplace, project managers must make an effort to make sure employees are communicating properly. There should be tech solutions, like using Skype, that facilitates easy communication. Employees should also be able to communicate with each other respectively. Lack of communication is what leads to things like time wasting meetings. It’s worthwhile to conduct annual company reviews, like those provided by Corporate Business Solutions, to find out if your workplace is being as productive as it should be.

Overhiring

If there are tons of people at the office, then things would get done more quickly, right? Wrong. If a department or a position is lagging behind, it may not necessarily be because of lack of labor. Also, if the company is growing fast, hiring more people does not necessarily make the workplace more productive. In fact, more employees could hinder productivity while managing projects. If there are dozens of people involved in a project where only a handful are needed, then it would create confusion and unnecessary red tape. So, hire people only as needed. More importantly, hire qualified IT professionals for the position who work well with others in the office. Do not over-staff your technical team.

Micromanaging

Micromanaging is a major problem among some IT managers as it can negatively affect overall productivity. Managers don’t need to tell employees what to do all the time like parents. This could result in employees who don’t think for themselves. Micromanaging takes incentives away from employees, and stifles creativity. There may be some occasions that micromanagement is necessary. However, decide what needs micromanaging very carefully. A better solution is to appoint team leaders who oversee various teams around the office. There should be a clear hierarchy that gets projects done. However, micromanagement is the wrong way to go about it.

Not Allowing Employees Breaks

Your employees won’t get things done by working 10 hours straight with only a short lunch break. If you want employees to be alert and in their optimal get-things-done phase, then allow them short breaks. No human is capable of working non-stop for hours on end. Breaks can help employees recover from being too tired or too overwhelmed. Everyone can perform better after a breather between tasks.

Suddenly Changing Work Schedules

Even if the manager is not aware of it, employees have work schedules they pay attention to. If the manager shows up and announces a new project or a client communication, then these schedules will go into disarray. It’s not wise to rapidly change the focus of work at the office. If there are sudden new clients or projects, make sure there are employees at the office who can specifically handle that sort of thing.

Make sure your IT department does not make the above mistakes when trying to be more productive.

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