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Blog

3 Strategies to Improve Productivity

Summer is in full swing, and now is the time, more than ever, to improve productivity in the workplace. So many distractions or “noise” decrease engagement among and productivity in employees. Several of our clients’ pain points are in finding a solution to increase productivity, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution.  For the month of July, we’d like to offer Drum Cafe North America’s 3 Strategies to Improve Productivity. 

Drum Cafe North America 3 Strategies to Improve Productivity

When team members feel happy, appreciated and valued, managers and leadership teams, see the shift in productivity in performance and work. With the focus on hitting the numbers and ramping up product offerings, managers often lose sight of what’s right in front of them: an essential piece of their company– their employees. 

There are several initiatives and efforts that can be rolled out at any company, big or small, to improve company culture, foster healthy and positive work relationships, and ultimately, improve productivity.

Strategy #1: Pave the Way for Employee Success

Onboarding makes or breaks a new hire’s journey and perception of the company.  As a member of the leadership team, not investing in the right tools and programs from the onset of a new hire’s career at your company can shift a promising employee, a high-functioning productive team member, to one that may not be so engaged and productive. At Drum Cafe North America we make the onboarding process highly engaging and memorable, making new hires excited about their new team and company.

Strategy #2: Internally Promote a Healthy Work-Life Balance

It is vital that leadership teams promote a healthy work-life balance from within. Sometimes we get caught up in the day-to-day operations of the business and forget that our employees are PEOPLE, with families, personal obstacles, and other goals outside of their career.

We know how much money and effort is put into recruiting top talent. We understand the need to find and hire the best. But what happens when there is employee burnout and they’re not the “best” anymore? Such burnout is real and more relevant than ever. 

Wellness and engagement programs decrease stress, improve team morale, and increase productivity. You can have 1 engaged and productive team member and 100 disengaged and unproductive employees. Who do you think will make the biggest contribution to your company? 

If people are stressed, it’s a loss for everyone and a detriment to your company’s growth. The aftereffects surface quickly and heavily, so remember to take the time to address the needs and wellness of your employees. 

Strategy #3: Invest in Your Employees

Many managers have a misconception that improving their employees’ skill sets is too costly and may cause employees to look at outside employment opportunities. But, in reality, when managers choose to improve their employees’ skill levels, they are actually adding value to their company. It should, therefore, be viewed as a smart investment.

The more you contribute to and support your employees’ professional development, the more you will retain them. You are strengthening the people you already have, and who wouldn’t want that? Keeping them from growth is what will drive them away, so make sure you are investing in and growing your people! 

Engaged and productive employees provide the best foundation to any company, will shift attitudes, create long-lasting results, and contribute to the growth of your company. Drum Cafe North America and Blue Fire Leadership can help guide your way with our highly customizable solutions that fit your company. Contact us to explore options.

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BlogEmployee onboarding

6 Tips to Onboard Your Employees The Right Way

Because onboarding is so important, Drum Cafe North America and Blue Fire Leadership have created 6 tips to show how you can Onboard the Right Way.

Drum Cafe North America Employee onboarding

Tip #1: Make it Easy For Your New Hires to Build Connections.

When they first walk in the door, new hires feel anxious and lost, because in most cases, they don’t know what they’re walking into or with whom they will work. The onboarding process needs to be as smooth and stress-free as possible, and although you can’t promise a 100% stress-free first few days of employment, you do have the power to control some of it. So, make it easy for them. Pair them up with another new hire and match them with a mentor- someone with solid experience within your company. This will add a layer of comfort that they did not have and will make it that much easier for them to concentrate on the material being presented to them. 

Tip #2: Make Onboarding Interactive and Engaging.

We’ve all been through a boring onboarding process, and let’s face it, none of us retained much at all. You were probably more focused on the clock than on the 3-inch training binder sitting in front of you. The more memorable and enjoyable it is, the more that vital information can be absorbed. Our Team-Can-Jam Cajon program, for instance, is the perfect way to kick-off your onboarding process. It’s all drumming! (With key messaging communicated by our expert facilitators.) All of the new employees (and mentors and others) are in unison from the get-go. This cooperative and collaborative energy flows through the entire program.

Tip #3: Don’t Put New Hires in the Spotlight

Drum Cafe North America and Blue Fire Leadership practice a form of team building that does not focus on competition – there is no winner or loser as we focus on uniting everyone– together! There are so many barriers today that truly keep us from growing closer together, so we automatically eliminate these barriers through the power of rhythm and unity. 

Tip #4: Make Onboarding Collaborative.

Your new hires won’t always be new. There will come a day where they begin guiding the new hires to the training room. It is vital to show them how dynamic your company is and to show them how other teams support each other. The onboarding process sets the tone for the employee. Collaboration is key, so start by etching it into the program.

Tip #5: Analyze Your Company Culture.

Poor company culture can have the most significant impact on your employee’s engagement, retention, and performance. If your teams are filled with in-fighting, backstabbing, lack of trust and intense individual competition, your new employees will feel that immediately. As a company, you have to walk the talk. If you want a collaborative environment, then review what is happening on the ground floor. Work to create a positive culture that is welcoming, productive and safe.

Tip #6: Start Onboarding When New Hires Walk in the Front Door.

At the initial onboarding kickoff, most new hires are zeroed in on the speakers and their new training materials. But, the real onboarding begins when they walk in your front door, and it is there where you can make sure they are greeted and guided in the right direction. These new hires need to feel welcomed and excited to become part of your company – to become a willing and driving force for your company’s success. It sounds simple, but most companies forget how those first step can create a sense of positivity or not.

An empowering and engaging onboarding process offers an amazing opportunity for you to truly create the productive, aligned, inspired and collaborative team members you want for your company’s long-term success. Drum Cafe North America and Blue Fire Leadership can help guide your way.

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BlogNew hiresOnboarding

Onboarding Insights

During the month of June, Drum Cafe North America is diving deep into strategies for training and onboarding programs across all verticals. As a team building company that works closely with Blue Fire Leadership for deeper dive Team and Leadership programs, we are often asked to provide kick-off engagements for quarterly meetings, company-wide events, and leadership programs during which we focus on aligning goals at both corporate and individual levels. We approach each client and program with the same verve and gusto; knowing well, we can play an important role in aligning and unifying teams and organizations.

Drum Cafe North America - Team-Can-Jam Cajon Program

Everything stems from a seed – successes, failures, learning gaps, inconsistency and even a loss of a sense of unity and community. That seed must be nourished so that it takes root and flourishes. In the corporate world, the seed is your company’s onboarding process, and from our years of experience, we know this to be a mission-critical event.

For many companies like yours, onboarding is the only time new team members learn about company culture and values, morale, best practices, and expectations so that they can become productive and valuable members of the organization. Onboarding is the time to prepare new hires for what lies ahead.

Because onboarding typically happens once, it must be engaging, interactive and memorable. It has a powerful impact on new hires and their first experience and impressions of the organization to which they just committed, so the type of onboarding engagement should be well thought-out and mindful.

A successful onboarding program has the ability to inspire not only new hires but current employees and managers as well. It can serve as a reminder of all that is positive within your company, your goals, your culture and your ability to create an environment that is dedicated and committed to developing and rewarding its employees.

At Drum Cafe North America, our customized onboarding programs, such as Team-Can-Jam Cajon Program, serve to enhance and communicate your company’s core values, messaging and goals, while creating a solid foundation for the unity, trust, and collaborative work.

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