Lost productivity is the gap between what your team could achieve and what it gets done. It may show up as a wasted hour that leads to a delayed follow-up or friction between team members that slows everyone down.
When you’re working on a small team or if you’re a one-person shop, even minor lapses in productivity can cost you. Projects might get delayed or deprioritized, or you might start making errors that lead to unhappy clients. What can you do? You can start by recognizing some common productivity pitfalls.
In a post on the Ninety blog, writer Piper Bloom explains that productivity missteps may seem small in the moment, but over time, they can compound, slowing momentum and stalling business growth. We share her thoughts on the productivity pitfalls to avoid in this issue of PromoPro Daily.
Running meetings without a clear agenda. Meetings can either drive the business, Bloom says, or become a complete time suck. When agendas are unclear or nonexistent, meetings take far too long and leave teams more confused than aligned. Remember that great meetings aren’t just about gathering but about solving problems and moving the business forward.
Having vague or overlapping roles. This can majorly slow decision-making and dilute ownership. Bloom says it’s critical to define clear roles and responsibilities in a single cohesive document. Everyone should know who owns what, who they answer to and how performance is measured.
Confusing goals with tasks. This is a productivity pitfall because you could end up checking off to-do items rather than doing any meaningful work. As a result, weekly tasks feel disconnected from the long-term vision. It becomes easy to burn out or lose focus altogether. Bloom recommends creating longer-term, quarterly goals that link weekly work back to the big initiatives.
Skipping regular feedback. Without feedback, assumptions can take root. Small issues can become big problems, Bloom says, and misalignment grows. If you work on a small team, don’t avoid feedback just because you feel like you don’t have time. The cost of avoidance is much higher, she says.
Relying on the founder for everything. Bloom says founders are the problem-solvers, but on small teams, they can also become the bottlenecks. Every decision flows through them and every issue ends up on their desk. This may feel necessary at times, but it can eventually stall your team. They may stop taking ownership, assuming the founder will step in.
You and your team might be making some of the above mistakes, like holding meetings without any real purpose or getting caught up waiting on approvals. When you start to pay attention to these hidden drains on your time, you can often reduce frustration and free up energy for higher-value work.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Piper Bloom contributes to the Ninety blog.
