Could you say that your team would be less productive than it is today if another manager led it? Or, on the other hand, the staff would have more chances to grow with a more careful management? A study guided by McKinsey, a global business consultant, investigated more than 14,000 companies in more than 30 countries, and proved what you should expect, but perhaps unfortunately did not experience. Well-managed teams come out ahead three times: 1) They have increased productivity; 2) Its market value and growth are higher and 3) They have greater ability to survive adverse conditions such as global financial recession. Probably all you want to know now is precisely what actions to take in order to make yours a better-managed company and, therefore, more productive. So, here are two good lessons:
The influence of multinationals
The first finding is that the study results are optimistic and suggest: there is significant potential to increase productivity with good management in any country analyzed. And, if we should follow the example, according to McKinsey, it is the multinationals’. Historically classified as the most productive companies, compared to domestic ones, they are dedicated to develop the skills of its employees. This investment affects the economy in general, when skilled workers move through the market and decide to open their own business.
The rotation of managers
Interestingly, managers are virtually unaware of how productive their companies are. They don’t even know to measure how efficient their management is. One possible solution that McKinsey suggests for this lack of awareness on management is what it calls “transplanting”. That is, companies should promote an exchange of the best management practices. Whether among countries they are established or even between their departments, the remedy may be making a rotation of the best managers. The rotation increases the knowledge of the circumstances, and over time, the productivity. After all, a greater number of the company’s operations will benefit from the leadership of the most productive managers – the most aware.
(Bonus) 10 attitudes that hinder your productivity
The ranking below brings the results of a survey commissioned by CareerBuilder in the US, in 2014, with more than 2,000 managers and human resource professionals, and more than 3,000 workers. They say what most hinders their (and probably your) productivity:
1) Cellphone and text messages – 50%
2) Gossip – 42%
3) Internet – 39%
4) Social media – 38%
5) Pause for snacks or to smoke – 27%
6) Noisy co-workers – 24%
7) Meetings – 23%
8) E-mails – 23%
9) Co-workers dripping by – 23%
10) Coworkers making calls in speakerphone – 10%
In addition, 1 in 4 workers admitted spending at least 1 hour of the working day on personal calls, emails and messages, and 1 in 5 estimates to spend 1 hour or more to search topics unrelated to work.
However, at Runrun.it, we believe that the solution is not to forbid phone calls or the access to websites. The management influences the productivity another way. It’s smarter to organize tasks and keep a list of priorities for the whole team. It’s equally more effective to monitor in what task each employee is working on with a team management software.
That does not mean forbidding communication between the staff. Instead, make easier the exchange of knowledge, documents – and I’m not talking about using more emails. A management software is able to provide that contact within a single system, safe and online, without e-mails, and even reducing the number of follow-up meetings. The productivity is measured, on real time, with e automated reports.
If you also believe in this way of managing, meet the Runrun.it. Try it for free: http://runrun.it
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