Keeping your team motivated when the pressure hits

Many good managers subscribe to the rule that jobs that take two minutes or less to do should be done immediately. Letting small tasks pile up can create problems, blocking creativity and productivity. At the risk of contradicting the advice about emails below, “two-minute tasks” could include answering a quick question by email or returning a phone call.

Email is useful, but it does interfere with the smooth running of everyday business. It’s very easy to get distracted from the task in hand when a new email pings into your inbox. Use email in a productive way. Place anything unimportant into a separate folder to go through later. If something can be dealt with more quickly by having a chat on the phone or in person, choose that option.

There are always parts of the job that we’d prefer to do and other parts that we tend to put to the bottom of the pile. If there’s a task you don’t like doing, or a job you keep putting off, the best advice is to simply dive in and do it. Tell yourself you’ll fully concentrate for 15-20 minutes then re-assess the situation. You’ll probably find you’ve made good progress and can keep going.

During busy times it’s easy for staff to feel they’ll be frowned upon if they go for lunch or leave work before the clock strikes midnight. Being a martyr to the cause does nobody any good, so employers should always encourage their staff to take a break. A 10 to 15-minute walk out in the sunshine or time away from a computer screen does a world of good, recharging the brain and increasing productivity after returning.

Employees respond positively to gestures that show their hard work and extra hours are appreciated. Keep motivation up by providing food if they’re working late, such as a takeaway pizza, or bring in sandwiches one day a week. Book a yoga teacher at lunchtime to break up the busy day; or let staff work more flexible hours. The promise of something to look forward to once the busy period is over helps everyone keep focused. Once WTM London has wrapped up on the Wednesday evening, everyone takes the rest of the week off. Don’t forget to say thank you to everyone on a regular basis during the busy time.