In labor relations every time employees seek salary reviews the employer always responds with the term productivity.

So what is productivity?and in the perspective of the employer, how do you measure productivity to decide whether employees are productive or not?
Productivity is the efficiency in producing outputs. It utilizes the provided inputs.

The outputs to be produced are goods, services, or results. The inputs required for production are time, labor, and or materials.

Businesses aim to maximize output using very little inputs. Productivity is about getting more done with the same or fewer resources.

Classification of Productivity
It is categorized into personal, team, and business productivity

Personal productivity.
This refer to how much useful work one can finish in a given time.

It looks at how effective an individual manages their time, energy, and resources to finish tasks and achieve goals.

The key factors in personal productivity

• Time management
• setting SMART goals
• Being focused and avoiding distractions
• Prioritizing activities using the 80/20 rule

Team Productivity
Team productivity is how well a group of people work together to achieve shared goals.

Key Factors

• Having clear communication and well defined roles
• Putting in place collaboration tools and workflow systems
• Building motivation and trust among members
• Providing leadership and effective delegation

Business or Organizational productivity
This refers to how many units a factory produces per worker per hour.

It focuses on how efficiently an organization uses its resources including people, technology, and finances to produce goods or services.

Key Factors

• The use of streamlined processes and automation
• Application of effective performance management systems
• Utilization of innovation and continuous improvement
• Dedicated employee training and development

Core Elements to Improve productivity
All categories of productivity can be improved using several key elements that work together. They are:

• Having clarity of Goals
  This involves knowing what is to be achieved and why. Clarifying goals gives direction and purpose to activities.
• Keeping Focus and Attention
  This is the ability to concentrate on one task at a time without distraction.
• Time Management
  It is the planning and controlling how much time to spend on activities. This ensures that all activities are done. It helps maximize results.
• Energy Management
  It involves aligning tasks with ones energy levels. Productivity isn’t just about time it’s also about one’s physical and mental state.
• Planning and Prioritization
  This is different from time management. It involves organizing tasks by importance and urgency. Important and urgent tasks are given priority.
• Discipline and Consistency
  Sticking to routine or system even when motivation is low is the key productivity.
• Tools and Systems
  Time Management, and activity prioritization is made possible using calendars, apps, checklists, and workflows. These tools help to support work automation.
• Feedback and Reflection
  Doing regularly reviews and evaluation of performance leads to improvements.

These elements combine to form a strong personal productivity system. To improve productivity any level needs commitment.