Perceptions in Productivity: Realign Your Teams for Success

Employers are expecting more from their people. PwC found that nearly half (45%) of the global workforce say that their workload has increased significantly in the past 12 months. To adapt, leaders are searching for solutions to elevate their team’s productivity.   

Some companies have turned to return-to-office policies, while others have expanded their efforts to monitor staff. While these initiatives may provide greater visibility into activities, they don’t necessarily lead to enhanced performance, and they can also weaken employees’ sense of trust, which is essential to driving revenue. 

HR.com’s recent research report found that 34% of Human Resources professionals rate the average staff member as high-producing, and 31% say the typical worker has low productivity. The remaining 36% indicate that their personnel fall in the middle. 

These findings suggest that organizations still have room to rethink their approach to productivity. To thoughtfully adjust their practices, I encourage leaders to first unpack the assumptions individuals make about what drives performance so they can take action to maximize their impact. 

What Does Productivity Actually Look Like? 

Depending on how you think and behave, your answer to this question may be very different from that of your colleagues. Let’s consider the three Emergenetics Behavioral Attributes as an example. Every person falls somewhere along the spectrum of: 

• Expressiveness, which measures the outward display of thoughts, feelings and emotions towards others and the world-at-large, ranging from first-third (introspective) to third-third (talkative) 
• Assertiveness, which describes the style and pace with which a person advances their thoughts, feelings and beliefs, ranging from first-third (steady and peacekeeping) to third-third (driving and direct) 
• Flexibility, which reveals a person’s willingness to accommodate the thoughts, actions and feelings of others, ranging from first-third (firm and focused) to third-third (welcomes changes) 

From the lens of Expressiveness, a team member in the first-third might not talk about the initiatives they are working toward while we will likely hear about the track record of someone in the third-third. The perception may be that the person who speaks about their accomplishments is achieving more than their counterpart, even if that’s not the case. 

A third-third Assertive staff member might appear more productive in the traditional sense because they are moving at a fast pace, compared with the methodical approach of many first-third Assertive individuals. However, the style and pace with which an employee approaches their work does not necessarily reflect their success and impact. 

A person in the third-third of Flexibility often enjoys multitasking. It could seem like they are completing many more tasks than their first-third colleague, who prefers to finish one project at a time. Still, at the end of the quarter, these individuals could have reached the same number of goals.   

Exploring these personal beliefs is an important first step in accurately assessing the performance levels of employees. HR can help leaders navigate these conversations by: 

1. Defining Productivity 
2. Leading Conversations about Biases  

#1 – Defining Productivity 

Providing an objective set of expectations that individuals and teams can work toward creates a shared understanding of what the organization values. HR professionals can partner with managers to articulate specific, measurable and time-bound objectives for their departments. Consider using frameworks like SMART goals to simplify this process. 

HR professionals can also take time to coach supervisors through the performance management systems that are in place in their companies. When introducing competencies, develop clear rating systems that illustrate specific actions leaders can look for to analyze output. That way, managers base their evaluations on a consistent set of standards rather than their own preferences. 

#2 – Leading Conversations about Bias 

Encourage team members to discuss what behaviors they associate with productivity. In these conversations, leaders and employees can uncover their own assumptions about the actions that support enhanced performance and recognize how different work styles lead to positive outcomes. 

If personnel have Emergenetics Profiles, invite them to compare their individual results with one another as well as the group’s Combined Profile. Ask staff to share examples where they felt they were highly prolific, as well as moments where they felt unproductive. Reflecting on these observations and reviewing the differences and similarities colleagues may share helps participants gain greater awareness of how their tendencies influence their views on efficiency and their beliefs about one another’s contributions.  

This discussion also serves as an opportunity to reframe mindsets and align on the success metrics that the managers and HR departments have previously defined. 

After completing these two steps, leaders can focus on helping their employees develop the people skills they need to achieve their objectives and tailor their coaching based on individual preferences, rather than personal perceptions. Embracing a customized approach to performance is what will allow your whole staff to thrive and your company’s goals to be achieved. 

Curious how Emergenetics can amplify team effectiveness? Fill out the form below to speak with one of our staff members today! 

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