Sam Mustafa, CEO of Charleston Hospitality Group shares his thoughts on productivity in the workplace and how to increase efficiency across all employees.

Let’s first touch on what productivity is. How do you define productivity?

Productivity in the workplace matters. Ask any business leader and they will say that the success and efficiency of their people are directly related to the ROI in their company.

When comparing this to being the CEO of Charleston Hospitality Group, the productivity of all my employees is crucial to scaling my business and operating efficiently day-to-day. But what does this mean in terms of real world applications?

Recently, I came across an article in my emails from Medium.com, discussing 6 ways to increase productivity in the workplace. The 6 tips were also sent directly to all employees at Tesla from Elon Musk and I feel they echo my thoughts precisely on how I try and conduct my own workplace on a day to day basis.

1) Leave a meeting if you are not contributing.

From my experience, I can agree with this statement. No. It is not rude to leave a meeting if you have nothing valuable to say. It is rude to stay in a meeting, taking up the time of your colleagues. There have been many times in my career where sitting in meetings has never served me.

Of course, everyone has something valid to mention, however it is important to make the defining boundary between conversation and valuable conversation. Valuable conversation includes quantified statements. Effective meetings will have one topic and discuss the solution or advancements to the current project at hand.

2) Avoid large meetings.

At all costs. Interestingly enough, there is a metaphor that is called the “Two-Pizza Rule”. This rule suggests that the amount of people in the meeting can be fed by two whole pizzas.

How you interpret this statement is dependent on your perspective. Now, my restaurant does not sell pizza, so a better metaphor for me would be the “Two-Appetizer Rule”. How many people can share two appetizers at a table? When you think in terms of who is sitting at your table, how many people are around you, I bet you can attest that whether business or personal relationships, the most progress gets done with no more than a table full of people.

This concept has served me with business negotiations, executive relationships, personal life and keeping deadlines consistent.

3) Communicate directly, irrespective of hierarchy.

Get the job done- no matter what it takes- and do it efficiently. Here at Charleston Hospitality Group, we hold all of our employees accountable to make their own decisions and perform their job functions. This could include absence of adhering to direct chain of command communication to increase efficiency. Go directly to the root of the source.

This doesn’t mean avoiding communication with your boss. It is necessary for your boss to be in the line of communication. For example, this could be as simple as CC’ing your boss on an email with communication to another higher-up in another department.

4) Quit speaking without purpose.

Yea. I said it. Enough of the small talk and run-around. If there must be a meeting- keep it focused.

You’re confused about something? Say it. You think something could be done better? Say it. Not sure what to say? Don’t say anything at all. Speak with affluence and speak with a purpose. There are too many people in the world who enjoy the sound of their own voice that their projects become so centralized on their identity. Stick to the point of the matter and focus on efficiency on the current project. Then move to the next project. Simple.

5) Ditch frequent meetings.

Frequent meetings are counter-intuitive. They send the message that your people are incompetent to do their jobs and need constant micromanagement.

Micromanaging your employees encompasses a culture that is less creative, innovative and increases an environment for more hierarchical communication to get the job done. This results in more steps that mitigate efficiency.

Trusting in your people generates an environment for productivity. When your people trust that you trust them and that they have a job to complete, they will hold themselves accountable to complete the task.

Increasing productivity does not come from meetings, it comes from direct communication.

Sam Mustafa is the CEO of Charleston Hospitality Group and Toast! All Day Franchise. Named one of the nation’s 100 most influential CEOs by Nation’s Restaurant News and frequent speaker on Joe Pardavila’s Podcast on ForbesBooks Radio. He has also been featured on Medium, Authority Magazine, describing his version of the American Dream. Sam is one of the leading voices in the Restaurant Industry.

Bibliography:
1) McEwan, Malky. “The Six Productivity HACKS Elon Musk Sent to His Staff.” Medium, The Haven, 9 Apr. 2021, medium.com/the-haven/the-six-productivity-hacks-elon-musk-sent-to-his-staff-20196e50a063.