We’ve all seen it, the team that’s always busy but never quite seems to move the needle. Lists get ticked, meetings fill calendars, and inboxes stay flooded, but real progress? That feels elusive.
The truth? Most teams don't have a productivity problem, they have a focus problem.
True productivity isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters, better, and that means moving beyond the to-do list. As leaders of small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs), you can’t afford inefficiency. Your bottom line depends on how well your team executes.
So how do you unlock true team productivity? Here's a seven-step guide based on what works, drawn from performance science, business leadership best practice, and our own experience supporting teams through SolasPerform.
1. Set Clear, Outcome-Oriented Goals
Before productivity can thrive, teams need clear goals, not just vague intentions. Goals should be specific, measurable, aligned to broader business outcomes, and, importantly, understood at all levels.
Use SMART or OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) frameworks
Ensure every team and individual goal connects to business strategy
Make outcomes, not activity, the measure of success
Solas Insight: SolasPerform tools help anchor team activities to strategic outcomes through guided goal setting that aligns personal, team, and organisational priorities.
2. Prioritise Ruthlessly
Not all tasks are equal. The key to effective productivity is ruthless prioritisation. It’s easy to stay busy, it’s much harder to be effective.
Use Eisenhower Matrix or MoSCoW method (Must, Should, Could, Won’t)
Schedule high-value work during peak team energy hours
Be clear about what not to do, deprioritising is just as important
Think of your to-do list as a tool, not a trap.
3. Foster Continuous Feedback
The annual review simply isn’t enough. Feedback fuels refinement, course-correction, and growth, components critical to productivity.
Implement a continuous feedback model (weekly 1:1s, retrospectives, peer reviews)
Encourage upward and lateral feedback to empower self-awareness
Use positive reinforcement to build momentum around effective behaviours
Solas Insight: SolasLite includes built-in comms tools like the Comms Checker and Planner, ensuring a clear, positive feedback loop across teams.
4. Delegate with Intention
Delegation isn’t just passing tasks off. It’s redistributing responsibility to maximise results based on strengths and growth areas.
Map tasks to competency levels and ambitions
Align responsibilities with developmental goals
Reduce bottlenecks by decentralising execution authority
With the right strategy, delegation frees up leaders and empowers team members.
Value Booster: Knowing individual strengths through performance assessments like those offered in SolasPerform helps you delegate smarter.
5. Cultivate Psychological Safety
Teams don’t perform their best when they feel scrutinised or undervalued. Productivity can only thrive in environments where feedback is safe, diverse perspectives are welcomed, and risk-taking is encouraged.
Model openness and vulnerability as a leader
Adopt a coaching mindset where appropriate
Recognise effort, not just outcomes
When your team feels psychologically safe, they’ll surface issues earlier, collaborate more effectively, and move faster.
6. Leverage the Right Tech Tools
Productivity tech isn't about tracking time, it's about enabling better work. Modern tools should reduce friction, increase clarity, and make essential information easy to access.
Use collaborative platforms (Asana, Notion, Trello, Slack) for project tracking
Integrate SolasPerform tools to create quality reviews, goal alignment, and performance feedback loops
Automate where possible, scheduling, reporting, and reminders
Solas Advantage: The SolasPerform uses AI to reduce the burden of reviews, making them faster, fairer, and more reflective of real work.
7. Review and Re-align Regularly
True productivity is iterative. Your first plan is never your best one. High-performing teams revisit goals, reassess capacity, and realign efforts consistently.
Ask:
Are we working on what matters now?
Where are we over-investing effort with little return?
What blockers keep recurring?
Best Practice: Create a rhythm, quarterly performance reviews, monthly strategy check-ins, weekly stand-ups. Solas helps teams adopt these habits through structured frameworks and AI-guided reflections.
Conclusion: It’s Not About Doing More, It’s About Doing Better
A to-do list only gets you so far. To unlock your team's true productivity, you need a performance-focused culture where people understand their purpose, receive meaningful feedback, have the right tools, and feel safe trying new approaches.
With SolasPerform, your SMB can systematically replace noise with focus and activity with accomplishment. Whether it’s through our AI-powered SolasPerfor or continuous development tools, we’re here to help your team not just do work, but deliver results.
So what’s the next most valuable thing your team could do? Time to prioritise, align, and accelerate, starting today.
Let SolasPerform be your co-pilot. Reach out to schedule a demo or start building the system your people, and profits, need.