Give your managers the tools they need to help support employee wellbeing and productivity while strengthening their leadership skills. This collection explores best practices to help managers empower their people to achieve common goals while driving meaningful change from the ground up.

When the pandemic hit, a majority of businesses around the world abruptly shifted to working remotely. Across the globe, this phenomenon led to the sweeping realization that remote work environments were feasible and even beneficial for companies and their employees. And while initial research on knowledge workers during the lockdown indicated productivity gains, further studies found a 20% decline in productivity when comparing outputs to hours spent working remotely. Longer days, an increase in after-hours work and less focus time may be to blame. Although the first waves of Covid-19 were over two years ago, organizations are still grappling with the future as they learn what it means to lead remote and hybrid workforces.

Regardless of where employees work, how can leaders ensure their people stay productive without overworking themselves?

Core principles to boost post-pandemic productivity

1. Show empathy- Accept that productivity will fluctuate based on individual experiences. A leader that shows empathy will not only strengthen employee productivity but they’ll foster strong relationships as well. Display empathy and try to get to the root cause of issues as they occur to ensure there is a clear path, and room, for improvement.
2. Encourage accountability- The process of establishing accountability in the workplace involves the ways in which managers discuss, assess, and recognize contributions made, and how to improve. In times of disruption and beyond, it is up to first-line managers to make sure that their people feel a sense of purpose and are given opportunities to grow their careers. By checking in regularly and setting long-term goals, making employees feel responsible for their performance will help accomplish objectives while growing team engagement.
3. Provide visibility- Give employees deep visibility into the metrics that drive productivity and promote progress by leveraging data-driven solutions that will support them along the way. With Montara, employees and managers alike can understand individual and team productivity and are motivated to take ownership using personalized recommendations, learning materials, and push notifications.
4. Ensure Achievement- By being conscious of the manner in which time is spent on work-related tasks, employees can increase their efficiency and productivity. Support employees as they meet their objectives and help them reach their full potential by showing them how to create an effective to-do list at the end of every business day.               
5. Improve Wellbeing- $322 of global turnover and productivity losses are a result of burnout. Ensure employees maintain their work-life balance and provide guidance so they can adopt healthier work habits and learn what works best for them.
6. Trust the process- Increasing productivity will happen gradually. Change isn’t easy, especially when it comes to habitual behavior, encourage your people to take things one day at a time, and have patience in the process.
   

In order to maintain growth and development in the post-pandemic world, it is up to managers to promote flexibility, work-life balance, and accountability. Therefore, it is critical that leadership take steps to establish a culture based on three principles: wellbeing, empathy, and visibility. By being purposeful about deploying methodologies to cultivate sustainable work models, organizations are likely to ensure success in the workplace of tomorrow. 

Support managers as they guide their people on how to maintain productivity while balancing wellbeing. Learn more about Montara’s real-time productivity insights today.