In professional settings, team leaders are responsible for managing their staff’s workflow. Workflow, which closely correlates to productivity, can be defined as the sequence of processes through which a project or task passes on its way to completion. Workflow can describe lengthy and complex processes involving major projects, or minor operations that are completed many times during each workday. There are several potential problem areas when it comes to optimizing workflow.

Inefficient, substandard communications can negatively impact an organization in many ways, including by creating workflow issues. International Data Corporation, the leading global market intelligence, data, and events provider in the IT sector, reports that over 80 percent of business leaders manage systems and applications that have no contact with other internal systems or external partners. This lack of communication can wreak havoc on a company’s workflow. Document management systems represent a great way to track documents that are used by multiple divisions within an organization.

Remote workspaces can also impede workflow. Remote work became extremely prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the return-from-home rate has varied considerably across industries. A Gallup poll found that most American workers telecommute at least twice per month. Leaders must continue to optimize videoconferencing capabilities and integrate regular business operations with remote software to maintain productivity levels.

Finally, business leaders can enhance workflow by removing superfluous meetings from the workday. Software company Atlassian commissioned a study that found roughly half of all business meetings actually hinder productivity, with the average employee spending 31 unproductive hours in meetings each month. Executives concerned about workflow should limit meetings to necessary personnel and substitute large meetings for one-on-one conversations with key decision-makers whenever possible.