When it comes to increasing the productivity of your team, you need to stop thinking of people like they are balloons. This problem is often seen when busy team members are given more and more tasks to perform.
Think of blowing air into a balloon. At first, you inflate in with great enthusiasm. You’re enjoying watching the balloon grow. You think bigger is better.
But if you put too much air in, then there’s a good chance that the balloon will explode. You end up with nothing.
In terms of productivity, additional tasks are like extra air going into a balloon. For a while, an employee can accommodate the extra work. Eventually, they will reach a limit. This is like the balloon explosion but in these cases it may result in something important not getting done, a task performed poorly, or burnout.
Mistakes are painful but employee retention should be a major concern. When people decide it’s better to leave than to stay, you end up paying at least 150% of the employee’s salary to find a replacement. Low retention is a productivity killer.
Coworkers may also not want to be in an environment where these kinds of productivity explosions occur. Think of how you feel, watching someone inflate a balloon to the point of popping. It’s uncomfortable.
To keep your team from being over inflated, consider these options:
Reprioritize
New tasks and responsibilities will come along but do you always need to be adding things to people’s plates? Consider whether you can remove some duties.
Communicate
Have honest conversations with your team about their workload. If someone is overwhelmed or concerned about things not getting done, then you should know about it.
This honesty may be a challenge for some employees. You need them to embrace big picture thinking and not feel that they’ll be criticized for admitting that they have too much to do.
Maintain Balance
Every business has its busy times. Do people think the busiest times are going to become the status quo? Make sure that after these periods, people have a chance to catch up on tasks and get back in balance.
When you feel like every day is going to be like your busiest, most stressful times, then you’re less likely to enjoy your job.
Bottom Line
It’s easy to think that giving a good performer more work will result in a solid outcome. If you’re not careful, it’s a good way to limit your long term productivity.
