Category: Business

Organizational Efficiency vs Organizational Effectiveness: Key Differences

Whether you’re an employee, employer, or freelancer, you must have heard of organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Both words may denote progress towards a certain goal but key differences still exist. 

In the business world, success depends mostly on how well a team is able to stick to work procedures in order to achieve certain goals. This is called organizational effectiveness. 

However, another metric to measure success is called organizational efficiency. This involves how well employees accomplish a task without wasting time, effort, or resources. 

To make sure your business stays on the right trajectory, it’s important to be clear on the slight distinction between organization efficiency and effectiveness. 

Importance of Organizational Effectiveness

Organizational effectiveness basically measures how effective an organization is at achieving its goals. 

The advantages of effectiveness in business include:

    • Employee engagement and performance
    • Better management 
    • Decreased costs
    • Improved customer engagement
    • Efficient use of technology 
    • Better organizational outputs 

At the end of the day, organizational benefits will depend on the actual business practices. 

Importance of Organizational Efficiency

Organizational efficiency basically refers to using an organization’s least possible inputs in order to produce the highest possible outputs. Its importance can’t be overstated. 

Wouldn’t it be more profitable for a business producing 10 units of production by spending $4 to start producing the same number of units in $3?

Organizational efficiency has a big impact on organizational effectiveness. Why? Because increased organizational efficiency makes plan implementation both cheaper and smoother.  

How to Improve Organizational Effectiveness

The main key to organizational effectiveness lies in utilizing the right tools and strategies to accomplish certain goals. Here’s what you should do:

 

  • Make good use of human resources

Never underestimate your HR department as it plays a major role in the organizational effectiveness of a company. They help design new business strategies and hire new employees, greatly impacting company goals. 

 

  • Maintain focus on education and growth

As a business leader, you need to take proper measures to work with different teams and individuals. Take into account the education of professionals in different fields before implementing important changes. Find out about their strengths and weaknesses in order to effectively lead them.

 

  • Always keep your customers in mind

If you don’t even know the needs and interests of your consumers, how are you going to improve organizational effectiveness? Always provide products and services that are needed by your customers. Or make your consumers want that product. 

 

  • Make only quality products or services

A successful business needs to deliver high-quality consistent products and services. The key here is to maintain a balance between quality and cost-effectiveness. Or else you’ll soon find your business in a loss.  

 

  • Utilize modern technology

Make use of computers, tablets, or mobile devices improve both the effectiveness and efficiency of your business or organization. Utilize sharing tools to keep team members up-to-date with the state of a project. Also, use technology to guard your business and clients’ information from hackers. 

How to Improve Organizational Efficiency 

The methods to achieve greater organizational efficiency is not always clear. But don’t worry. We’ve compiled a list of ways to improve organizational efficiency.

 

  • Communicate

Create a culture of open-communication such that lower-level employees are not afraid of voicing their concerns to upper management. This will allow managers to respond more effectively to problems. 

 

  • Automate

A rote human function being replaced by automation is usually a healthy sign for business. This allows your employees to focus on the more innovative side of the business, leaving repetitive tasks to machines. 

 

  • Outsourcing

In order to spend your time more effectively, outsource functions that fall outside of your domain of expertise. For example, HR management, computer programming, legal issues, etc. can be outsourced to experts that know what they’re doing. 

 

  • Avoid time wastage

Don’t waste your precious time on things that can be easily avoided. For example, don’t make your entire team sit in a meeting that is largely irrelevant to their daily tasks and activities. A small meeting followed by a concise memo should be sufficient. 

 

  • Hire remote workers

Recent studies suggest allowing employees to work from their homes will increase efficiency and output.

Read More: Types of Management Styles

Factors that Determine Organizational Effectiveness

Factors that determine an organization’s effectiveness include:

 

  • People

Your employees operate and manage the business under the employer’s lead. Is it any wonder that their performance will affect an organization’s effectiveness? You need to focus on their skills, behavior, and culture among other things. 

 

  • Processes and Systems

Business processes should be efficient, fast, and profitable. They include workflows, procedures, and tasks. Every business is unique. This means that every organization should look for processes that perfectly suit their business needs. 

 

  • Tools and Technology

The right tools and technology can easily improve the effectiveness and results across all organizational functions. However, if you choose improper or wrong tools then your business is going nowhere anytime soon. Examples of tools and technology include software, IT infrastructure, and training programs. 

 

  • Mission, Strategy, and Vision

An organization’s mission, strategy, and vision are critical to its overall effectiveness. This includes the philosophy of an organization, market positioning, and overall strategy. All of this contributes to many other business fields. 

 

  • Organizational Structure

An organization’s structure heavily impacts its effectiveness. Common structures include top-down, flat, and some other structures. However, there is no “best” approach to organizational structure as it is all relative. 

Best Time Clock Apps for Multiple Employees in an Organization

If you’re searching for the best time clock apps for multiple employees then its safe to say that you want to improve employee productivity and aren’t fond of wasting time. You’re in luck then because we’re going to talk about some of the best employee time tracking apps for 2020. 

Businesses looking to expand and increase their workforce need a quality time tracking app that is easy-to-use, multi-purpose and doesn’t cost a fortune. It might feel like most of these apps are only available on Android and iPhone, there are still plenty of amazing apps for Windows and macOS. 

To help you find the most suitable app for your business, we’ve come up with a list of apps that are sure to make you sit up and take notice. 

Choosing a Time Clock App for Multiple Employees

Before embarking on your quest for the best employee time tracking app, you first need to make a list of features that you’ll like in an app. You most likely have your own specific requirements that depend on the size of your company and workforce. 

Every app offers different features and functionalities. But this doesn’t mean that you require each and every one of these features. Keep your eyes on your core requirements. That said, there are some features that every great app should have in common. 

For instance, good employee time tracking apps should let you manage both employees and projects. There should be timesheets and productivity reports that help you gain new insights into the overall workflow of your company. 

At the very least, the employee time tracking app should have a timer that can start and stop at any time. Plus, the app shouldn’t be so complicated that employees end up wasting a lot of their time just trying to learn how the software works. 

Staff Timer 

Staff Timer is one of the best employee time tracking apps for Mac and Windows. It uses modern tools to monitor employee work activities and get a hold of billable and non-billable hours. Its UI is easy on the eyes and simple to use. Just create a project, make a task within the project and start the timer. Its main features include: 

    • Automatic time capture. Staff Timer will take a screenshot after every minute so that a record of employee progression can be kept. 
    • Keyboard and mouse activity. Check how active your employees have been on their keyboards and mouse.
    • Offline time tracking. The app will still keep tracking the time even if for some reason the internet is not available.
    • Real-time monitoring. Make up-to-date and informed decisions by observing how your employees are completing their respective tasks.
    • Daily work videos. A video clip demonstrating the whole day’s activity within a minute is generated every day. 
    • Record and assign. Let’s employers use audio clips to assign various tasks. 
    • Intelligent reporting. Daily work reports help employers identify weaknesses in employee work performance, examine their output, and suggest necessary improvements.

Platform: Windows and macOS

 

  See Also: Employee Engagement Activities in Companies

HoursTracker 

For companies that have busy employees and are in need of accurate time tracking app, HoursTracker is a good choice. Also, if your employees are on the go and don’t have the time to manually start and stop the timer, introduce them to HoursTracker. 

The app can easily track hours, earnings, expenses, breaks and much more. Its user interface is easy to understand, letting employees instantly clock in and out. One great thing about the app is that it can track hours based on whether employees are arriving at or leaving their workplace. 

Platform: Android and iOS

Toggl

Searching for an app that works on just about any system? Toggl is a good place to start. Its UI is simple and impressive. Just like most time tracking apps, you open the app, create a new entry for the project, and start the timer. Once your task is complete, press the stop button, and the total amount of time will be recorded in your account.

It’s free features include: 

    • One-click timers. Users only need to click one time to start a new task or to continue tracking the previous one. 
    • Reminders. It’s common for users to forget to start or stop the timer. The Toggl Button and desktop app send notifications to the user if that happens. 
    • App Integration. Users can put the Toggl Button inside their favorite online apps to start tracking time immediately.

Platform: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, and Web

Time Doctor

This app is suitable for managing remote teams and businesses. Time Doctor specifically concentrates on companies that want to keep an eye on their remote workers. It includes features like automatic screenshots and website/app tracking to give employers greater control over business operations.  

Its main features include:

    • Screenshots. Takes automated screenshots that let employers see what their employees are doing. 
    • Attendance tracking. Keeps track of attendance and lets employers identify employees who are late. 
    • Web and app usage. This feature allows employers to track app usage and know how much time their employees have been spending on unproductive apps. 

Platform: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, and Web

Rhumbix

If your company dabbles in construction and is looking to modernize its operations, Rhumbix will help you go paperless by providing a single source of truth for filed data capture. 

Its main features include:

    • Timekeeping and payroll. Streamline your timekeeping and payroll process by submitting timecards from the field within minutes. 
    • Production tracking. Analyze, track, and optimize your labor productivity through real-time field data. 
    • Daily construction reports. Get the field, office, and general contractor on the same page by providing real-time field data in a daily digital report. 

Platform: Android, iOS, and Web

 

     See Also: freelance time tracker

OsMonitor

OsMonitor is ideal for recording and tracking computer activities such as Instant Messaging chats and visited websites. Monitoring data is stored on the server database and will generate reports based on your employees’ work activities. 

Its main features include:

    • Monitoring. The app lets you take screenshots and track visited websites. The data won’t be lost even if your employees deleted the history on their own computers.
    • Restricting. Block undesirable actions such as games, USB port, large downloads, etc. 
    • Reports. Read all kinds of reports on the OsMonitor server and export them to Word, Excel, or HTML format. 

Platform: Windows

Key Takeaways

These are some of the best time clock apps for multiple employees. We’re sure that you’ll definitely find the most suitable app for your business. If you found this app helpful then be sure to share it with others. Good luck and stay productive.

How to install Stafftimer app on MacOS Catalina (10.15)

How to give Staff timer app screen capture permissions on MacOS Catalina

 

With macOS Catalina (10.15), Apple introduced new security and privacy features for your Mac. To ensure that Staff timer app is able to capture screenshots of your screen, you will need to grant our app access. Please follow the steps below to do that:

Step 1

Go to your system preferences

 

Step 2

Click the icon labeled Security & Privacy.

Step 3

Click the Privacy tab at the top, then select Screen Recording from the left-hand column. Finally, check the box next to Staff Timer App to allow our app to capture your screen.

Step 4

Accessibility

Staff Timer App must also be checked in accessibility for an average rate to work – on your mac go to system preferences > security and privacy > privacy > accessibility and checkmark Staff Timer App.

Please restart Staff Timer App after following the above steps.

Note*

If by any chance you’re not seeing Staff Timer App in Accessibility or Screen Recording, restart your Mac and try again – that should do the trick. If it’s still not showing, please submit a radar with Apple here using the Feedback Assistant as this is a known issue with macOS 10.15.

 

See Also: How to Use Trello for Project Management

10 Employee Engagement Activities in Companies

Employee engagement activities aren’t considered as important as they should be. But before you start crunching numbers and coming up with some new activities, know that employee engagement is essentially a mindset. The only way employee engagement activities can yield the desired result is if you keep your focus on the “why” of the issue.  

Don’t just look at the figures and statistics. Treat your employees with empathy because they are humans with their own ideas, thoughts, accomplishment, and problems. They are not just there to make money for your company, they are vital resources that need nurturing in order to deliver satisfactory results. 

Importance of Employee Engagement Activities 

The Importance of employee engagement activities can’t be overstated. They have time and again proven to:

    • Decrease staff turnover rate
    • Improve efficiency and productivity
    • Retain more customers 
    • Increase profits

Most importantly, engaged employees are obviously happier, both in their professional and personal life. Everything done with increased engagement has longlasting effects on the culture of the workplace. 

 

   See Also: Time Clock Apps for Multiple Employees

Purpose of Employee Engagement 

The main purpose of employee engagement is to attract and retain top talent. Recent research has shown that more than a quarter of employees is at a high risk of turnover. The most worrying part is that one-third of those at risk are talented employees that go above and beyond what’s expected of them. They are eligible for other positions. 

When competition is fierce and the cost of training new employees is sky-high, employee engagement activities become vital. Plus, these activities can directly increase the productivity of a team and take it to the next level. 

How to Engage Employees

Some of the top employee engagement activities include:

 

  • Involving Employees in Your Business Planning

Have a big meeting with all of your employees every six months or so. Tell them about the most important issues faced by your company and how you plan to address those issues. Take your team on board while making future plans, assessing opportunities, and refining pre-existing business strategies to suit your needs. 

 

  • Creating an Efficient Knowledge Sharing System

High employee turnover rate means inevitably results in the loss of essential information. One way to avoid it is by creating a kind of knowledge sharing system. It avoids extra cost to some degree and has proven to be a great engagement driver for new hires. 

We recommend implementing a mentorship program that pairs new employees with experienced ones. It will quickly get the new hires up to speed and help familiarize them with the working process of your company.  

 

  • Showing Them the Financial State of Your Company

Don’t hide your company’s financial record from your employees. Flaunt it and instill your employees with confidence. 

Give a quick presentation at the end of every year or quarter. Show them the fruits of everyone’s efforts, set ambitious goals for the next phase, explain how everyone involved can meet those goals. This eventually becomes a set of activities that keeps the employee engaged and full of purpose. 

 

  • Creating a Learning Environment

One of the main reasons why employees quit companies is a lack of learning opportunities. They claim that employers always demand more but don’t provide an environment that encourages growth. 

Make it easier for employees to access the required knowledge and development opportunities. 

 

  • Hyping Upcoming Opportunities

Get your employees excited about upcoming events. Let them know that opportunity is knocking on their door and they better grab it with both hands. You can communicate these opportunities in your internal newsletter, directly, or during the monthly meeting. 

If your employees are optimistic about your company’s future, they’ll ignore those poaching emails from other companies. 

 

  • Start Your Own Internal Magazine

Create a magazine focused solely on your employees. Fill the magazine with witty columns, news, stories, and opportunities. We’re sure that most of the staff will love to be featured on the cover as Employee of the Month. 

The magazine could be in online or print form. You can even go for both forms; a monthly online and a quarterly print issue. 

 

  • Encourage Individuals to Take Responsibility

Each and every employee is the hero of their own story. They need to carve out their own career path and set goals for themselves. 

Have your employees write their goals on a piece of paper. Tell them to put the paper in an envelope and seal it. After six months or so, give them the sealed envelopes to let the see if they’ve accomplished their goal. 

 

  • Always Give Back

Get involved with your local social and charitable initiatives. Giving back to your community helps you get in a positive mindset. It also cultivates pride and loyalty. 

Have your team pitch some causes and start supporting the one you feel most strongly about. Make it your personal mission and not just some hobby. Get your employees involved as well. Let them feel and know that they’re making a difference. 

 

  • Act on Employee Feedback

Listening to employee feedback is just part of the equation. You won’t be able to build any engagement without actually acting on said feedback and making the necessary changes. 

This doesn’t mean that you should act on feedback from all your employees. Prioritize feedback from your high-performing employees. If they feel like their voice isn’t being heard, they’ll most likely look for other opportunities. 

If you’re not sure who your high-performing employees are, use Staff Timer to monitor and receive daily intelligence reports on employee tasks and projects.  

 

  • Allow Personalization at the Workplace

When you depersonalize the workplace, you end up dehumanizing your employees. Encourage them to put some personalized items on their desks. Normalize diversity and inclusion. 

In short, create policies that accept different hairstyles and clothing options that reflect their individual beliefs and values. 

 

  See Also: Task Tracker

Key Takeaways

Employee engagement activities are absolutely worth their weight in gold. There are countless benefits of having engaged employees that believe in what they’re doing and look forward to their day. 

Always remember, satisfied employees means satisfied customers. 

Cheapest Ways to Send Money to India

India has a large pool of talented freelancers and thus people are always looking to find the cheapest way to send money to India from USA. You might wonder why people would want to hire a workforce from another country. The reason is simple. An increasing number of businesses are looking to hire remote employees to save money on workplace costs. And this trend is only going to grow bigger as more and more companies become aware of its positive effects. 

But every rose has its thorn. There are numerous difficulties with remote employees as well. One of the major ones is choosing the best payment option. This article is going to outline some of the best ways to send money to India. 

Things Are Now Easier

It’s now very easy to send money to India. There are so many options out there that it becomes difficult to choose the best one for your needs. All these different options have their own advantages and disadvantages. It’s important to do thorough research first before coming to a final decision. When sending money to India, here’s what you should look for:

    • Speed. How quickly do you want the money to be sent? The rates will differ depending on how fast or slow you want your transactions to be.
    • Exchange rate. Keep your finger on the pulse of exchange rates. Be sure to get the best possible rates of yourself.
    • Fees. If you send money from bank-to-bank then it shouldn’t add fees. Don’t pay more than you should and avoid using cards.
    • Convenience. It might appear as a luxury but you still have to take convenience into account. If there’s an app that makes things easier then take advantage of its features.

Best Way to Send Money to India from USA

There are no absolutes when talking about payment processing. Some of the best ways to send money to India include:

ACH Transfer

An Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer might just be the cheapest way to send money to India from the US. You just need to send money from your bank using an ACH transfer. The recipient should get it within 4 working days. There are no additional fees or trips to the bank involved, saving you lots of time and money.

According to this article, “The most common uses of ACH are online bill payment, mortgage and loan repayment, and direct deposit of payroll. ACH payments are an efficient and cost-reducing alternative to paper checks and credit cards.
On the Internet, ACH is primarily used for person-to-person (P2P), business-to-customer (B2C), and business-to-business (B2B) payments.”

 

Pros:

    • Brings an element of convenience because of the one-time process.
    • Usually free at some banks or money transfer services while only incurring small fees at others.

Cons:

    • Not the ideal option if you require a fast transfer.

TransferWise

TransferWise offers a cheap way to transfer money from the US to over 70 Countries, India included. Its exchange rates are some of the best you’ll find. But like many other transfer services, TransferWise isn’t the best option if speed is a priority. 

According to this Telegraph article, “If your business transfers money overseas regularly, TransferWise can help save you money by giving you access to the real mid-market rate of exchange, and charging only a small, fixed fee for the transfer. You can get a TransferWise multi-currency borderless account for business, which holds balances in more than 40 currencies, to send and receive payments all over the world.”

Pros:

    • Relatively cheap because of the mid-market exchange rates. For example, to send $1000 to India, you’ll incur $8.94 in fees.
    • It has an app and website that makes this convenient.
    • The minimum transaction amount is £2.

Cons:

    • Takes about 3 working days to transfer money from NA to India
    • Unexpected delays in transfers 
    • Additional documents required for some transactions

Money Orders

Money orders are paper documents, like checks, that are used for payments. They are prepaid and only available when after a buyer pays for the money order with cash or some other form of guaranteed funds.

Many banks offer this service and charge very small rates. To cash the checks, some form of ID is required. If lost, the full amount can be easily recovered. 

Money orders are ideal for situations where using cash, check, or digital app isn’t viable. 

Pros:

    • A safer option than cash
    • Won’t bounce like checks for insufficient funds

Cons:

    • You’ll have to go in-person to your bank or dealer
    • Mobile deposits aren’t allowed by all banks

Wire Transfer

Wire Transfer is one of the oldest transaction methods out there, existing for over 50 years. If you chose this method then you’ll have to go over to your bank or some other agency in order to complete the transaction. 

When you completely provide all the necessary information about the recipient to your bank, they’ll initiate the transfer. 

Most banks have a wire transfer service but you’ll still have to check with your bank to get accurate information on the whole process. Plus, services like Western Union also offer “wire transfers”. 

Pros:

    • It offers quick service, mostly within 24 hours. 

Cons:

    • You’ll have to pay for a fee for the quick service, usually within $10-35 USD. 
    • Not very secure as once payments are sent, they can’t be stopped.

MoneyGram

You might have heard of MoneyGram already. It’s a pretty big player in the international money and remittance market. Every day, hundreds of thousands of customers use MoneyGram to transfer their funds.

Its popularity is due to its fast and secure transactions. However, these transactions incur a slightly higher fee than some other transfer services. 

When the time comes to hand over or collect actual cash, transfer services like MoneyGram is at the forefront of people’s minds. 

Pros:

    • Very quick service that allows recipients to get the money within 24 hours.
    • It has at least 347,000 local agents in over 200 countries.
    • It is well-known for its security and reliability. 

Cons:

    • It has higher fees than other transfer services.
    • Hidden currency conversion can cost around $10.
    • Different countries have different required documents.

Western Union

Western Union is so popular that it is practically a household name now. This transfer service’s popularity is mainly due to its dependability, convenience, and ease-of-use.

You’ll find a Western Union branch in almost every country, even offering a local withdrawal option. But where there is light, there is darkness. Transfers through Western Union may take varying amounts of time, some transfers may even take a week. 

Western Union is best used for one-off transactions, money orders, and selling online. 

Pros:

    • The app is convenient and easy-to-use.
    • For pickup, over 125,000 in India alone.

Cons:

    • Slow transfer but can be increased with additional fees
    • Not viable for small transactions

PayPal

PayPal is one of the biggest names in payment processing. The reason why you’re able to transfer money without the use of a credit card or bank account is all thanks to PayPal.

With PayPal, the sender doesn’t incur any fees but the recipient may have to cover a small fee. The service is mobile-friendly, making money transfers easier. 

Pros:

    • Its sign-up process is free and easy.
    • Can be integrated with several third-party solution providers
    • Supports multiple currencies, including the Indian Rupee.  
    • The process is very secure thanks to online encryption.

Cons:

    • It is not entirely free as there is a fee for each transaction.
    • Not suitable for large sales as there is an increase in fees along with an increase in transactions. 
    • Countless stories of account freezing in which customers couldn’t access their account and money after being flagged down as risky or involved in fraudulent activities. 
    • You’ll have to pay extra charges for complete features and benefits.

Personal Checks

Personal checks might not be as popular as some of the other aforementioned options but they do represent one of the safest options. Why? Well, the check cannot be cashed by a random person because the recipient has to show his/her ID. Plus, checks that don’t reach their destinations can be easily canceled. 

Checks might be old-school but they still have some use in today’s world. Some small businesses, landlords and real estate people still accept checks. 

Pros:

    • It provides security as the checks are written and verified.
    • It can be easily canceled at any time. 

Cons:

    • Foreign checks might not be accepted by some banks
    • Exchange rates might need to be paid by the recipient

Key Takeaways

You’ll most likely find the best and cheapest way to send money to India from our list of transfer services. But what is best for some may not be ideal for others so take your circumstances into account before making a final decision. 

Do share the article with others if you personally found it helpful. Best of luck!

How to Use Trello for Project Management

Managing a team has always been a very tricky job. However, there are some things that you can do to get the most out of your staff. Today we’re going to learn how to use Trello for project management. This tool can help us manage all kinds of job responsibilities and tasks, regardless of how many employees are a part of your team.

Now when we’re talking about responsibilities, we’re not talking about a daily to-do list. We’re talking about job roles or the type of things that you might find on a job description. So without any further ado, let’s get into it. 

What is Trello?

In Trello’s own words:

“It’s a collaboration tool that gives you a visual overview of what is being worked on, who is working on it, and how far they’ve gotten.”

It’s essentially an online corkboard. It is used to organize “cards” into lists – these cards can be tasks, notes, projects, shared files, or anything else that can help you and your team collaborate better. The idea behind Trello is simple: effective team management needs full transparency over important tasks and flexibility to change or rearrange them if necessary. 

Trello will provide you with more:

    • Organization
    • Cohesion
    • Accountability
    • Sanity
    • Visualization

With Trello board at your disposal, you’ll be able to create order in your work by organizing it into a list of cards. You can quickly rearrange them if the situation asks for it. This makes it a great tool for team management, both in-house and remote. 

Trello will solve the problem of:

    • Long email threads
    • Unproductive meetings
    • Project clarification
    • Transparency
    • Absent-mindedness

If you’re using email or chat for task-based communication, Trello will prove to be a great replacement. Team members can learn all about a task just from reading a card. Plus, all discussions about a project can also take place right there. With all the information in one place, it becomes easier to:

    • Keep everything on track
    • Observe what is being done
    • See previous chats

Anatomy of Trello

Trello consists of three main things:

    • Boards: A Trello board is a big black space used to organize a project or process i.e. monthly tasks, department responsibilities, campaign launch plans
    • Lists: Trello lists are items that make up a project i.e. to-do list, completed tasks 
    • Cards: Trello cards make up a list and contain further details about a specific item

How to use Trello for project management

The not-so-well-hidden secret behind Trello’s massive success is how quickly it allows its users to customize it according to their needs. However, this open secret is exactly why Trello can be a tad bit intimidating at first. 

A blank Trello board can fill you with the exact same trepidation experienced when seeing a blank Word document. But where there is darkness, there is light. 

We’ll teach you some of the best Trello practices out there. Soon you’ll be a Trello expert in no time, allowing you to effectively manage your in-house and remote teams.

Upload a Unique Background to Your Board

Don’t let that this simple practice deceive you into thinking that its just style with no substance. 

Customizing your board is a productivity technique. How you may ask? Let us explain. 

How many tabs do you open in your browser? We bet that you open a lot. 

Simultaneously opening lots of tabs leads to inefficiency. These tabs are so small that you will need to open each one to remember what’s inside them. This is where custom Trello backgrounds come into play. 

Even when the tabs are small, you’ll still be able to recognize the Trello boards as the app’s website icon will look like the design of a board’s custom background.  

Be Clear About the Use of Your Boards

Before you make a board, be clear about its use. Don’t go crazy creating cards without creating a list first. 

Also, be clear about the point of your board. Is it being used to store information or track progress? 

A board consisting of information should have lists organized by topics. 

But if you’re creating a board to track some process or someone’s progress, it’s better to define each list as a different stage in the cycle. As Trello reads from left to right, you should place the first stage list on the left and go from there. 

Assign Big Projects Their Own Boards 

Don’t cram multiple projects inside one board. That’s a recipe for disaster. It will inevitably overwhelm your team members result in bottlenecks, lack of accountability and slower projects. 

To avoid cramming, create boards based on short-term projects and goals. An archive that project once it reaches its eventual conclusion. This will make it disappear from existence and you can concentrate on your next project. 

Each Board’s Workflow Should Be Clear

Plan your board in advance. You should know:

    • Where a card should go
    • When a card is ready to be switched
    • When a card is supposed to be archived

The workflow will not be smooth if your project isn’t planned in advance. To make things difficult, each team member will probably use the board in their own way. 

So how can everyone stay on the same page? Well, you can make the first list of every board an “About Board”. 

Don’t Forget to Use Trello with Another Tool

Trello is a great tool but there is no app in this world that can do everything. You need to use Trello with other tools like Google Docs and Microsoft Word. 

For example, if a card represents an article that is completed, attach that article so that other members can easily view it. 

Key Takeaways

Trello is a very powerful tool that can help you complete and collaborate on projects. It may look a little daunting at first but once you get a handle on the different functionalities, the app will make your life easier. 

If you found this article helpful, feel free to share it with people who may not know about Trello and its amazing features!

Additional Business and Data Privacy Trends Resources:

Want to learn more about Business and Productivity trends,

Employee Monitoring Software: How it Benefits Data Privacy

Learn effective strategies regarding data privacy include. Companies need to use encryption in every bit of data, end to end.

How does stripe work:

Stripe is an excellent credit card processor for online-only businesses. If you have experience as a developer then it’s very fast and easy to implement.

10 Ways Managers Can Help Solve Employee Time Management Issues

Employee time management issues are so common that every member of the workforce suffers from them at least once in their work life. 

One study found that employees can free up at least 20 percent of their week by applying more discipline to their time management. That isn’t very surprising because the average employee faces a lot of distractions every day. Corporate executives receive over 200 emails a day while meeting can easily take up 35 percent of the workweek. 

In this article, we’re going to discuss ten ways managers can help solve employee time management issues. So without any further ado, let’s just jump into it. 

Top Ways to Resolve Employee Time Management Issues

Evaluate Employee Performance

If you don’t even know about the problem then how will you be able to solve it? Use meaningful metrics to evaluate employee performance. You can start by observing if your employees are:

    • Not completing their tasks on time
    • Stressed, unmotivated or burnt out
    • Frequently absent at the workplace

Once you get to the bottom of the problem, you’ll be able to come up with a good solution. 

Highlight the Problem Areas

Once you’ve made sure that poor time management does exist in your workplace, the next step should be to find out the reason(s) behind it. Are your employees getting complacent? Or are they wasting their time visiting irrelevant websites in the workplace? However, don’t be quick to lay the blame on your employees. Sometimes, it just might be the fault of poor management. 

Decrease Distractions

Distractions have become the bane of employee productivity. Open-plan offices are very popular these days but they have a major downside: little to no privacy. In this type of environment, even the most diligent employees can lose their focus. Plus, the internet and social media also take up a lot of our time every day. Taking all of this into account, is it any wonder that employees are facing time management issues?

You can’t do much about the layout of the building but you can ban irrelevant websites and restrict the use of mobile phones at your workplace. 

Urge Employees to Set Goals

Reducing distractions will be of no use if your employees don’t have timely goals. But don’t be hasty here. Goal-setting is a characteristic that they should learn first before trying to apply it in the workplace. 

Instruct your employees to set daily, weekly, and monthly goals based on a task or project’s duration. 

Utilize Project Management Software

Setting goals and timelines may sound easy but in reality, it isn’t. Your employees will need all the help they can get. This is where project management apps come into play. Managers can use these apps to map out each team member’s workflow. Even reports and delivery times can be planned. And their biggest advantage is that they will let you make necessary adjustments along the way.

Train Employees on How to Prioritize

Project management software can only streamline your workflow. They can’t teach your employees the art of prioritizing. Only you can do that and even that to an extent. Employees need to learn how to prioritize urgent or important tasks in order to increase their productivity. 

In the end, employees need to decide which tasks to complete first. You can only notify and help them with the more urgent tasks. Also, make sure your employees have the proper resources to finish these tasks. 

Give Employees More Freedom

Every employee has their own way of doing work. Some tackle the hardest tasks first and then move on to the easier ones. Others operate in the opposite way. If they’re completing tasks on time then leave them to their preferred pattern. You’ll get good results as long as you give your employees the appropriate freedom. 

Being too rigid won’t do you any good so try not to micromanage all the time as it will create a stifling workplace environment. 

Allow Flexible Schedules

The current generation’s mindset is very different from the previous generation’s. Today’s workers value freedom above all else. They don’t like the rigid 9-5 system and consider it somewhat soul-crushing. 

Some employees might be sharper and more organized in the early morning while others only get started around noon. This is why you should consider implementing flexible work schedules. Let your employees try different work schedules so that they decide which one works best for them. 

Flexible schedules have the potential to:

  • Increase efficiency
  • Relieve stress
  • Make performance better

Carefully Delegate Tasks and Duties

It’s possible for even employees with the right goals and priorities to lag behind in their tasks. A lot of the times they have too much on their plates and get overwhelmed by all the workload. In these cases, it’s better to delegate their tasks to their colleagues. But make sure that you assign these tasks to the people who know the employees previously working on the tasks. 

Supervise Accordingly

Giving employees freedom doesn’t mean leaving them to their own devices. Some type of supervision is still necessary. For example, you can install an employee time tracking software, like Staff Timer, to track attendance, breaks, and work hours. 

Best Christmas SaaS Deals for 2019-20

It’s that time of year again where everyone is enjoying their holidays and looking for good Christmas deals. No matter how the year has gone for you so far, these holidays are bound to bring some laughter and joy back into your life. Now let’s get ready to welcome the new year with the best Christmas saas deals for 2019. 

The cold weather might bring a sense of complacency with it but you better believe that it’s not the time to relax just yet. Why? Because the holiday shopping season is just getting started and lots of great deals and discounts are coming your way.

If you’re not looking forward to hunting these deals down then don’t worry because we’ve got your back. In this article, we’re going to discuss some of the best Saas deals for you. So just sit back, relax, and have a look at these Saas holiday deals available below. 

Top Apps Offering Christmas SaaS Deals

Staff Timer 

StaffTimer is a time tracking software that utilizes artificial intelligence to monitor employee work activities and handle billable and non-billable work hours. Also, it’s easy on the eyes and has a simple UI. Simply, create a project, create a task within the project, start the timer, and voila! You’re good to go. 

The app’s main features include:

    • Automatic time capture. StaffTimer will take a screenshot after every minute in order to keep a record of employee progression. This feature will most definitely deter your workers from wasting their time.  
    • Offline time tracking. No need to panic when the internet is not available for some reason because StaffTimer will still keep on tracking the time even in offline mode.
    • Real-time monitoring. StaffTimer can help you make informed decisions and see trends as they develop by letting you monitor your employees in real-time.
    • Daily work videos. Every day a video clip will be generated. These clips demonstrate the whole day’s activity within a minute.
    • Record and assign. Want to send clear instructions to your employees? StaffTimer app lets the admins assign tasks with voice clips.
    • Intelligent reporting. Daily work reports can help employers identify weaknesses in their employee work performance, examine their results, and suggest improvements where necessary. 
    • Keyboard and mouse activity. Discern how productive your employees have been by checking their keyboard and mouse activity for the day. 

Deal – Get 50% off for 2 months on the standard package. Sign up for a 10-day free trial here. 

SEMrush 

SEMrush is a popular service company that sells online visibility and marketing analytics software subscriptions. If you want to search a keyword, analyze a competitor, or optimize your Google Ad campaign then you’ll find it hard to find a better software on the market. 

Deal – Pay just $333.33 instead of $599.95 per year for the competitive research bundle. 

Reply

Reply is a well-known sales acceleration platform that automates one-to-many communication, while still keeping it 100% real. It is capable of scaling cold outreach whether inbound, outbound, hiring, account management, business management, or new customer trials. 

Deal – Get limited-time discounts for Reply here.

Landingi

Landingi is an easy, drag and drop landing page builder designed for employers, marketing experts, and agencies alike. For those who don’t know how to create a landing page in WordPress, Landingi is a godsend.  

Deal – Get Christmas saas deals for Landingi here. 

Delesign 

Delesign is a pretty handy service app that lets you share a vetted senior-level Delesign designer. Now employers don’t need to spend time hiring, interviewing or training designers. You only need to sign up, submit your project, and let Delesign handle the rest. 

Deal – Get 40% off for Delesign here. 

Infinity 

Want to get all your work done through a single dashboard? Worry not because Infinity is here. Infinity is an all-in-one management tool that lets you do this and so much more. It’s so flexible that users can easily customize workflow without any setbacks. 

Deal – Get an 82% discount for Infinity here. 

Chanty

Looking for a simple AI-powered team chat with unlimited message history, easy to use collaboration features and apps to make your team super productive? Look no more because Chanty lets you do this and a lot more. 

Deal – Get a 50% discount on the annual business plan for Chanty here. 

Get very high-quality copyright-free images from Indian Stock Photos

Key Takeaways

These are some of the best Christmas saas deals for 2019. You’d be hard-pressed to find better discounts on the market. So quickly take advantage of these offers before they expire.

Top 7 Strategies to Increase Employee Productivity in 2020

Every employer wants to increase employee productivity and that’s not really surprising. Its like money and no one in their right mind would refuse money, right? 

We’re right in the middle of two eras, the pre, and post-digital age. Technology is at its peak and we’re experiencing products and services that used to be in the realm of fiction decades ago. But let’s hold our horses here for a second and remember the old phrase, “Where there is light, there is darkness”. 

Technology certainly has its own share of downsides, the main one being a constant cause for distraction. Today, the internet is easily available even on remote islands. We all have it inside our pockets now. Thanks to mobile phones, we can easily surf the internet whenever and wherever we want. This also means that we’re always in danger of wasting our time and losing productivity for the day. 

In this article, we’re going to talk about some top strategies that employers can implement to increase employee productivity in 2020. So without any further ado, let’s jump in: 

Ways to Increase Employee Productivity

 

  • Instruct employees to create a to-do-list

Employers need to prioritize efficiency. They should let employees make a list of daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. By creating a list, they will have a structure and plan to stick to. This will also give them a reason to chase and decrease their chances of getting sidetracked by irrelevant tasks.

In this day and age, it’s easier than ever to create a to-do-list. Just choose one of the numerous apps in the market, see if their functionalities suit your needs, and voila! You’re good to go. 

Jean de La Fontaine, the famous 17th-century poet, said:

“One of the secrets to getting more done is to make a to-do list every day, keep it visible, and use it as a guide to action as you go through the day.”

 

  • Delegate tasks

It’s a risk but business owners and entrepreneurs have to trust their talented employees. They need to give them more responsibilities. This will boost morale and give employees a sense of achievement and direction. Plus, it will free up employers’ time and allow them to focus on some other important tasks. 

George Foreman, the two-time world heavyweight champion, said:

“Nobody can do everything well, so learn how to delegate responsibility to other winners and then hold them accountable for their decisions.

 

  • Get rid of distractions

Distractions like mobile phones are proving to be a big problem for employers. Employees are constantly using their phones at work, resulting in decreased productivity. Restricting the use of mobile phones during work hours will for sure increase an employee’s focus and productivity in the long run. 

Use time tracking apps like Stafftimer to monitor employee work activities and track their daily progression. It will likely encourage them to avoid distractions and focus solely on their tasks at hand. 

Robin Raskin, the American author, said:

“The biggest problem is that technology often ends up being a distraction. In an information society, the smartest person will be the one who can shut out all the distractions.

 

  • Have the right equipment and set up

Employers need to avoid being stingy. If they don’t invest in good equipment and tools then the company’s reputation and employee work ethic will suffer. For example, if there is no connection to the internet in a software house, most employees will not be able to do their jobs properly. All the tasks will be on hold and there will be no productivity for the day. 

Gene Kranz, the American fighter pilot, says:

“There is no such thing as good enough. You, your team, and your equipment must be the best. That is how you will win victories.”

 

  • Offer support

Our motivation reserves are constantly depleting. The same is the case for employees. Every employee needs to be motivated from time-to-time. Employers should work with managers and supervisors to get an idea about company morale. Then they should decide if any incentives need to be given. If needed, they should also review targets and come up with realistic goals.

Pete Carroll, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, says:

“Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.”

 

  • Teach them how to fish

No, we don’t mean literally. You know what they say, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ Employees should be trained to enhance their skills. This will, in turn, lead to increased efficiency and ultimately take their productivity to the next level. 

Mark Twain, the famous American writer, said:

“Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage without a college education.”

 

  • Create a transparent and feedback-driven culture

Many employers and managers never admit their mistakes but in order to create a culture of transparency and feedback, it’s important to admit when you’re wrong. This way everyone will feel free enough to do their best work. 

So if you’re the CEO then learn to admit your mistakes. Employers don’t always have to be right and in control. It takes more courage to say that you don’t know the answer or have made a mistake. 

Whitmore, author of Memory Manipulation: How to Train Your Brain to Think Faster, says:

“Admitting to a mistake means refusing to use other people as scapegoats to avoid responsibility but rather courageously owning up to every single one of them.”