6 Conversations Managers Must Have to Boost Productivity

27 of June, 2023

Have you ever felt like you spend more time managing your team than actually running your business? As a manager, having the right conversations with your employees is key to boosting productivity and achieving the outcomes you want.

But with packed schedules and competing priorities, it can be hard to find the time to connect in a meaningful way. The good news is, you don’t need hours of meetings to make a big impact. Six short but strategic conversations can help motivate your team, uncover obstacles, and keep everyone focused on what really matters. The results can be a considerable boost to the performance of your team.

In this article, we’ll explore the six conversations every manager should make time for, and how just a few minutes of your time each week can pay off in a big way.

Talk About Their Goals and How to Achieve Them

As a manager, one of the most important conversations you can have is with your employees about their goals and how they plan to achieve them. Sit down with each team member and:

• Ask them what their short-term and long-term career goals are. Really listen to understand what motivates and inspires them.
• Discuss how their goals align with the company’s objectives. Look for ways their aims can benefit your organization. When employees feel their work contributes to larger goals, they tend to be more engaged and productive.
• Help them break down their goals into specific and measurable steps. Having a clear roadmap will make their goals seem more achievable and help them avoid feeling overwhelmed. Offer resources and support to help them along the way.
• Check-in regularly on their progress and see if there are any roadblocks you can help remove. Your team will appreciate your guidance and encouragement.
• Most importantly, recognize and reward them when they achieve milestones. Saying “congratulations, I’m proud of you!” can go a long way in motivating them to keep working hard to reach their goals.

Managers often get caught up in the daily grind of running a team but taking the time to have in-depth conversations about your employees’ goals and motivation will pay off.

Your team members will feel more dedicated, valued and purposeful. And that can only lead to higher productivity and better results for your company. Using a solution like Sesame can help facilitate these types of meaningful conversations and boost employee engagement.

Discuss Their Strengths and How to Apply Them

As a manager, one of the most important conversations you can have is discussing your employees’ strengths and how they can apply them. This helps in several ways:

• It gives employees a sense of purpose and motivation. When people are able to do what they’re good at, they feel more engaged and driven. Talk about what they enjoy and find most energizing in their role.
• It leads to higher productivity. Employees will naturally excel and achieve more when focusing on their strengths. Help them determine how to spend more time on the high-impact activities they’re best at.
• It boosts creativity. People come up with their most innovative ideas when operating in their strengths zone. Discuss how they can utilize their strengths to solve problems in new ways.
• It improves team dynamics. Understanding each other’s natural talents and abilities helps to build rapport, complement one another, and work together more effectively. Share each person’s strengths with the wider team.

Using a tool like Sesame can help identify each employee’s key strengths and talents. Then, work with them to actively apply those strengths through:

• Adjusting their responsibilities and tasks to draw on what they do best
• Providing opportunities to mentor others in areas they excel
• Setting key performance goals and metrics aligned with their strengths
• Giving them more autonomy and flexibility to work in ways that suit their strengths

Having sincere conversations about maximizing your employees’ strengths is one of the most valuable things you can do as a manager to drive higher productivity, satisfaction, and performance. Make this a priority and reap the rewards!

Address Any Weaknesses or Skill Gaps

As a manager, it’s your job to help your employees develop professionally and reach their full potential. Part of that means having honest conversations about any weaknesses or skill gaps you’ve noticed that could be holding them back. While these types of discussions can be uncomfortable, they are necessary to boost productivity and results.

• Explain specifically what you’ve observed as an area needing improvement. Give concrete examples and evidence to support your points. Be transparent but tactful. Focus on behaviors and actions, not personal attacks.
• Ask open-ended questions to make sure you fully understand the situation and get their perspective. There may be external factors you’re unaware of. Listen with an open mind.
• Jointly determine solutions and next steps. This could include further training, mentoring, job shadowing a colleague, or setting performance goals. Provide resources and guidance as needed. But ultimately, the employee should drive their own development.
• Set a follow-up meeting to check-in on progress and see if any additional support is needed. Be flexible – development is a journey, not a destination. People learn and improve at different paces.
• Offer encouragement and positive reinforcement along the way. While discussing weaknesses and gaps, also highlight an employee’s strengths and the value they provide to the team. Build confidence through praise and motivation.

Having a growth mindset as a manager will lead to greater success and retention of top talent. Investing in your employees through coaching and training shows you care about their well-being and career advancement. With open communication and the right support system, you can turn weaknesses into strengths and skill gaps into new opportunities.

Check-in Regularly on Workload and Priorities

As a manager, having regular one-on-one meetings with your direct reports is crucial. These check-ins help ensure your employees have the resources and support they need to be productive and successful.

Discuss their priorities and workload

Ask your employees about their top priorities and projects to make sure you have a shared understanding of what needs to get done. See if they feel overloaded or underutilized—either extreme can negatively impact productivity. If they feel overworked, see if any tasks can be reassigned or deadlines extended. If underworked, discuss taking on additional responsibilities or mentoring other team members.

• How are you feeling about your workload right now? Is there too much on your plate or do you have extra capacity?
• What are your top 3 priorities this week/month? Are there any deadlines I should be aware of?
• Is there any way I can support you or help remove obstacles so you can be as productive as possible?

Review key performance indicators

Check in on key metrics and goals to ensure your employee is on track. Provide feedback and guidance as needed to help them achieve their targets. Celebrate wins and milestones along the way to keep them motivated.

• How are you doing in meeting the KPIs we set last quarter? Do we need to make any adjustments?
• You’re nearly at your sales goal for the month. What can I do to support you in achieving it? Keep up the great work!

Discuss growth and development

Part of your role is helping your employees advance in their careers. Discuss any areas they would like to improve, new skills they want to develop, or career paths they aspire to. Then work together on a plan to achieve their goals.

• What are you interested in learning more about or getting better at?
• Do you feel you’re ready to take on more responsibility? What types of new opportunities excite you?
• Let’s create a development plan to help strengthen your skills and work towards your career goals. I’m committed to supporting your growth.

Regular check-ins build trust, boost motivation, and foster productivity. Use these conversations to gain alignment, provide guidance, remove roadblocks, and help your employees develop their skills and advance their careers. With your support, they will be empowered to thrive in their roles.

Provide Constructive Feedback and Recognition

Providing constructive feedback and recognition is key to keeping your team productive and motivated. As a manager, it’s important to have regular conversations with your employees about their work and performance.

Share feedback in a constructive way

When giving feedback, be specific and focus on actions and behaviors, not personal attacks. Explain how their work is impacting results and what they can do to improve and develop their skills. Offer to provide mentorship and check-ins to help them succeed.

• Say: “I’ve noticed you seem distracted in meetings recently. What can I do to support you?”
• Not: “You don’t seem focused lately. Get your act together.”

Provide recognition and praise

It’s equally important to recognize the good work and praise your team members when they excel or go above and beyond. Some ways to show appreciation include:

• Verbally in person: “I wanted to thank you for all your hard work on the Smith account. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
• Email shout-outs: Send an email praising their work and copying relevant colleagues and executives.
• Spot bonuses or rewards: If permitted, consider providing a financial reward for major accomplishments. Even small gestures like a gift card can go a long way.

Meet regularly

Don’t just schedule times to meet when there are issues. Meet with employees regularly to provide guidance, review goals, and catch small problems before they become big issues. Meetings also show your team members that you value them and are invested in their success. Using software like Sesame can help schedule and track meetings, as well as record and share feedback.

With open communication and mutual support, you’ll boost productivity by keeping your team members motivated, recognized, and working to the best of their abilities. Giving constructive feedback and recognition is a conversation all good managers must have.

With these conversations, you will probably set up a better understanding and get a more productive and engaged team. At Sesame, we are all into helping teams perform better while managers can track their progression.