Four simple productivity hacks for your practice

It’s a common misconception that a busy office is a productive one. In truth, if your team is running around all day trying to catch up, this is more likely a sign that there are inefficiencies in your workflows. Here are four strategies to help your team work smarter.

1. Incorporate digital scheduling for your staff

A lot of emphasis is placed on the value of upgrading to electronic scheduling and appointment confirmation for patients, and rightfully so. But have you considered using a similar system for creating and managing employee schedules?

Managing staff schedules manually is more likely to lead to errors, leaving you shorthanded at an inopportune time. A digital scheduling system tracks changes for you and can provide a real-time look at your staffing situation on any given day.

Employees like that they can use a portal for vacation requests, to report in sick or to request a schedule change. Giving your team more control over their time improves job satisfaction, which can lead to increased productivity.

2. Rethink your overtime philosophy

Making the decision to bring on additional staff is never easy. Often, when you run the numbers, it is less expensive to pay your current team overtime rates than to recruit and hire a full-time employee. Your team gets a nice paycheck boost, and the work gets done. Win-win, right? Not always. While some overtime is just part of running a business, too much can lead to fatigue and burnout–even for employees who happily take on the extra hours. If you’re paying significant overtime every week, you may need to consider the long-term impact on your team’s productivity.

3. Internal instant messaging

Improve communication by implementing instant messaging for your team. Along with being fast, intuitive and user-friendly, instant messaging saves the time it takes to walk across the office to talk to another team member and prevents interruptions.

4. Add indoor plants

Studies have shown a marked increase in overall productivity when indoor plants are added to office work environments. Plants:

• Lead to the perception of improved air quality
• Improve concentration
• Boost workplace satisfaction and overall attitudes about the workplace
• Can decrease stress and anxiety

Plants also improve the patient experience, making your office feel more welcoming and cleaner.