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Currently, public discourse on work productivity revolves almost exclusively around the office work vs. remote work debate. I’m not a fan of this because it tends to limit productivity to a one-dimensional metric.
Of course, the workplace is necessary, but in recent years the importance of this factor has been overestimated. This, in turn, allows firms responsible productivity shortfalls on current work patterns and ignore more systemic problems. Does your team have the essential tools? Are they aligned with the company’s priorities? Do they have clear KPIs and how is productivity assessed?
Moreover, separating productivity from other key team metrics akin to worker satisfaction, engagement and motivation makes no sense in my opinion – what’s the point of getting a barely more productive team if you are much more prone to leave your job?
Spotify and eBay have committed to work from anywhere policies and are doing great. Amazon and Apple are also doing well after the introduction of RTO mandates.
Ultimately, productivity is not so much about this, but how. It doesn’t matter whether you work from a cubicle, a couch, or a coffee shop – if your (remote) office culture is compromised, productivity will suffer.
So as an alternative of wondering whether your team should work remotely, the strategy to actually increase productivity is to focus on more fundamental aspects. Here are five hallmarks of a productive office culture.
1. Clear communication
In thriving workplaces, you will find regular team meetings that produce clear, actionable results, open feedback channels, and transparent decision-making processes. Employees have quick access to essential information and feel comfortable asking questions. They are up so far with their tasks, deadlines and expectations. You’ll also see leaders lead by example – over-communicating priorities and progress to maintain the entire organization in the loop while still being accessible to their employees.
This alignment and information exchange allows teams – remote or not – to remain focused and avoid wasted time, misunderstandings, and systemic unproductivity.
2. Collaborative environment
High-performing offices cultivate collaboration across teams and departments to interrupt down barriers, encourage diverse perspectives, and enable employees to more effectively address complex challenges. Collaboration is not all the time natural and productive. To profit from this in a way that contributes to the company’s bottom line, collaboration should be encouraged and nurtured through shared goals, dedicated practices, and conscious leadership.
Year after yr, cooperation has been identified as one of the top issues plaguing remote staff and is generally seen as a major advantage of an in-person environment. While this definitely has some benefits, this is one other factor where, in my experience, company practices, policies and approaches play a key role.
Remote work does not preclude sharing resources across departments, team building, knowledge sharing and general camaraderie, nor does in-person work guarantee this.
3. Goal-oriented approach
For each communication and collaboration to be effective, they need to be supported by a goal-oriented approach. Otherwise it’s just chatting and meeting. When individual employees and entire teams understand how their contributions directly impact overarching goals, it fosters a sense of responsibility and accountability. It also sets an extremely necessary direction of work, specifying each the tasks and their purpose.
Without clear goals, any activity is productive, giving a misleading picture of progress when in reality it is all about optics. A goal-oriented approach ensures that point and efforts are directed towards the most significant priorities, resulting in tangible results for the company.
4. Work-life balance
I’m a huge supporter of a healthy work-life balance and breaks throughout the workday because employees can only give their 100% when they may give their 100%. This means flexible schedules, generous break day policies, advantages designed to support health and strongly discouraging any after-hours work or communication, with management leading by example.
It is price noting here that one of the commonly mentioned benefits of remote work is a higher work-life balance. While not having to commute to work is a major advantage, the reality is that remote staff often work longer hours, check email after work, and generally have a harder time maintaining boundaries between their work and personal lives. Regardless of work pattern, it is management’s job to support a healthy work-life balance and resist the temptation to use people’s enthusiasm and commitment for short-term advantages.
5. Growth mindset
Finally, a productive office culture is typically characterised by a growth mindset, each in relation to the company’s goals and the development of its employees. We’ve already covered the former, but the latter is equally necessary because worker education and development directly contributes to a company’s productivity and adaptability.
Ongoing training opportunities, mentoring programs, and recognition of each effort and achievement cultivate a mindset of continuous improvement. Moreover, investing in a team often fosters loyalty, especially when personal and company development align, offering opportunities for profession advancement. This is an extremely powerful motivator that may drive entire firms, especially emerging ones.