Last week, we kicked off a new blog series that looks at business productivity and what it ultimately means for those working in the construction industry. We kicked it off last week by looking at the importance of scheduling.

While the ideal workday looks different for everyone, the Clockwise Workplace Scheduling Report reveals some core principles that underpin a well-managed schedule including:

  • Intentional scheduling that aligns with energy levels
  • Balancing deep work with collaboration
  • Strategic approach to meetings
  • Incorporating breaks
  • Creating structures for both the individual and the business

Today, let’s turn our attention specifically to productivity in small businesses. There are so many small businesses in the construction industry, and it is essential to consider how these businesses might work together to boost productivity. Another new report from Zoom digs the state of productivity, specifically in small-to-medium-sized businesses. Here’s what it found:

Too much busy work: 75% of employees reported spending more than one hour a day on administrative tasks, but only 35% felt this would be meaningful to success in their roles.

Too many apps: Users who use more than 10 apps were up to 15 percentage points more likely than those who used fewer apps to experience consequences related to ineffective collaboration.

Too many meetings and emails: Nearly half of leaders said they spent more time on meetings and emails than they wanted to. Additionally, more than 57% of leaders felt that if a meeting was canceled, their alternative use of time would be more productive.

Not enough collaboration: A third of respondents said they spend an hour or more resolving challenges related to bad collaboration. Wasting just one hour on any of these tasks could cost organizations up to an estimated $16,491 per manager in inefficient productivity.

This all lines up with a Gallup survey that found employees who are not engaged with their work account for $8.9 trillion in lost productivity worldwide. It is far too much money to leave on the table. It is trillions of dollars.

Collaboration, then, becomes key to enable productivity, especially in small businesses. The two—collaboration and productivity—often go hand in hand, and teams need to work together to improve their individual productivity as well as group productivity.

The report suggests there are three steps to improve productivity in small businesses:

  1. Improve employee experience through technology.
  2. Enable time savings with AI (artificial intelligence).
  3. Simplify the tech stack (i.e.: don’t toggle between too many apps).

These are all great steps, but I would add a few more. We can’t simply use technology for the sake of technology. Sure, some platforms will ultimately save a significant amount of time while also boosting both collaboration and productivity—but only if done right.

Businesses need to create a strategy and align that strategy with both processes and people. What are your thoughts? How can we improve productivity in small businesses? What other factors must we consider?

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