It’s no secret that 2020 has fundamentally reshaped the nature of work. Whether your team is back in the office, still remote, or somewhere in between, relying on old tactics to engage and motivate your employees can at times fall on deaf ears.

After working with several growth stage companies, we have noticed a few specific adjustments that highly productive teams have incorporated in their week to make a difference. Here are three quick tips you can start incorporating today that will keep your team on track and excited to dive into work this week.

Building a Weekly Rhythm for Accountability

Staying productive is more difficult than ever right now. Maybe you have kids at home that need help with their school work. Perhaps your organization has completely pivoted and you’re trying something new as a team. Whatever the case may be, getting work done right now isn’t always easy.

Instead of worrying about everything you have on your plate, shift your mindset and ask yourself, ‘What is the one thing I know needs to get done this week?’ After you’ve identified your biggest task, record your goal AND share it with others on your team. Not only can this help other team members understand what will continue to move the needle this week, it also serves as a way to hold yourself accountable. Once you’ve shared your goal, encourage others to go through the same process.

Examples of a Weekly Goal:

• Reach out to X number of prospects
• Finalize content schedule for Q2
• Push four new features to code review status 
• Outline new customer account scoring process 

Tying Your Weekly Focus into Overarching Goals

If there are multiple fires burning, how do you know what fire you should put out first?

One of the best ways to prioritize tasks is to make a list of everything you need to knock out. Once you have a list, start identifying whether or not each task is time sensitive. Ask yourself, ‘If this doesn’t get done this week, will others be impacted by the delay?’ If the answer is no, you know it’s not mission critical to accomplish the task that week. If the answer is yes, then you can assign a date for when the task should be completed.

Once you’ve paired your list down to a few tasks that you need to complete, look at your team, department, or company’s overall goals. If any of the tasks are directly related to a team, these should take priority over other tasks that you’ve identified. If there are multiple tasks that tie into a team/department, collaborate with your coworkers. Now is a great time to focus on alignment and make sure everyone in your organization is rowing in the right direction. 

Pro Tip: If you’ve gone through the process of making a list, you can refer back to this the following week to repeat the same process over again.‍

Connecting Goals Outside of Work

Maintaining structure for a work life balance can be nearly impossible right now. When your office is ten steps away from your bedroom, creating a separation from work isn’t as easy as it used to be. That’s why our team recommends outlining a personal goal or task you want to accomplish each week as well, in order to prioritize your personal life alongside work.

Just like with your work goal, the task you identify should be recorded and shared with your team. It can serve as a unique way to connect with coworkers outside of plain old happy hours over Zoom. In the new reality of work we are living in, making time for yourself is more important than ever. Identify a task that you want to accomplish, record it, and be sure to make time for it during the week.

Fun Goals Outside of Work:

• Spend at least 30 minutes outside five times this week 
• Call one friend you haven’t spoken with this week
• Work out three times during the week
• Don’t buy anything new on Amazon
• Mow the yard before next Sunday

Interested in incorporating any of these tips into your work this week? You can speak to our team today. Get started now.