How You Can Improve Workflow In Any Industry Posted Oct 29, 2021

Whatever field you work in, from shipping to manufacturing to technology, improving your daily workflow can improve efficiency, save time on repetitive tasks, and enhance your bottom line.

The tips below can help your organization improve its workflow dramatically, and the benefits will cascade throughout the company.

Forget Multitasking

Most of us have seen job advertisements that stress the need to multitask. The idea is that a worker is more productive if she can write a report, present a Powerpoint on a Zoom call, and do performance reviews simultaneously.

In reality, neuroscience research shows that the brain isn’t good at doing several tasks at once. What happens is our focus switches quickly from one task to another. For example, every time we go from writing a report to doing a sales presentation, the brain stops and starts as it switches gears.

That process of starting and stopping takes a toll over time. Multitasking isn’t more efficient; it makes us take more time to do things and makes us prone to errors. Also, it just wears us out.

So, doing too many things at once hurts workflow. Instead, your workflow should focus methodically on one task at a time and not allow any distractions until that job is done.

Don’t Take Work Home

Many employees take their jobs home with them because they think getting more done at 8 or 9 pm will enhance their workflow during the day. But research shows that work suffers when you take work home because you don’t get a chance to recharge.

Not taking time from work can lead to exhaustion and more distractions when you’re in the office.

Improve Work Communication

Communication between employees is vital for efficient workflow. Everyone in your office should understand what is happening on a project. Also, a successful company encourages each worker to tell others what they are doing, ask questions, and provide regular reports to managers.

When there isn’t enough discussion and communication, you may think work is being done when it isn’t. Good communication will ensure that every task is accomplished on time.

One way to improve communication in the office is to hold daily meetings, but don’t overdo it. Poorly focused meetings that drone on for hours exhaust workers and prevent them from getting essential tasks completed.

Instead, hold a brief ‘huddle’ for no more than 10 minutes every day or two. Review progress on critical projects and who is responsible for what. Hold a short Q&A session, and then go back to work. Critical information is communicated quickly, no one falls asleep from boredom, and everyone is up to speed.

Train Frequently

If a worker has too much to do, they may procrastinate and fall behind. But when they have been trained on how to do their work, they will be more comfortable and productive. Sometimes, the workflow can improve even if the same employee gets the exact training twice; it can eliminate worries about their work and encourage them to take on more significant assignments.

Organize

Having a smooth and efficient workflow means you keep projects organized and have schedules so that all team members know what to do. In addition, you should establish processes to monitor each worker’s productivity and have a schedule that tracks how much time each person works on the project.

Having efficient ways of tracking work time is vital to keep projects and people organized.

When you use tips as we describe here, you can improve the workflow and processes in your company. Doing so will make your teams more productive, comfortable, and profitable throughout the year.