Why working more no longer “works”: how to boost team efficiency

If you search on Google for “how to increase productivity,” you’ll find dozens of articles promising things like “10 simple tips to boost your team’s productivity.”

But the problem is that these “tips” often have nothing to do with each other. They are isolated actions, not a system that can truly move an organization toward efficiency.

Today, let’s take a different approach — to understand what real productivity is, how it is measured, and what HR and leaders can do to create a culture of productivity.

What Is Productivity and Why Measure It

Many organizations can’t clearly define
what exactly makes them productive.

In a manufacturing environment, everything is simple — how much product is produced in a given time.
But today, when most employees deliver services rather than physical goods, measuring productivity becomes more complex.

One option is to calculate
the company’s revenue divided by total working hours. In other words, the more money you generate in less time, the higher your productivity.

However, there’s a subtle point here.
An employee often evaluates their “efficiency” by how many tasks they’ve completed.
But an organization considers that employee productive only if those tasks create value for the business.

In other words, doing a lot doesn’t necessarily mean being useful.
You’re useful when what you do brings results.

And that’s precisely why measuring productivity is important —
because growing revenue means a healthy and thriving business.

How to Measure Productivity

When measuring productivity, don’t focus solely on numbers — focus on the results that move you closer to your organization’s goals.

For example, these can include:

• growth in sales or revenue,

• customer satisfaction,

• or reduction in production time.

The first step is to define
what you’re measuring and why.
How does your chosen metric connect to your business’s strategic goals?

To ensure your metrics aren’t random, it’s important to collaborate with business leaders and establish a clear goal-setting process.
That process should unite all departments toward a shared direction and ensure everyone understands
how their progress will be measured.