For most businesses, salaries are the largest expense, making your team one of your biggest investments. Ensuring they deliver isn’t just good for morale—it’s critical for the bottom line. But here’s a question I often ask CEOs and MDs:
Are you truly getting the results your team is capable of delivering?
Time and again, I’ve seen businesses struggle with what appears to be a capacity problem.
The natural response?
Hire more staff. But here’s the thing: the real capacity is often already there, hidden in plain sight.
Why Teams are “Busy” but Not Productive
Even the most dedicated teams can fall into patterns that waste time. It’s something I see in so many businesses. People:
- Prioritise work they want to do, rather than what’s actually important
- Avoid the challenging or tedious work, leaving the real priorities untouched
- Get buried in emails and admin, instead of focusing on what moves the needle
- Spend hours in endless discussions or meetings, with little to show for it
- Overthink and over-prepare, leaving little time for execution
This kind of ‘busy-ness’ isn’t just about wasted time—it diverts energy and focus away from the work that drives growth and results.
The True Cost of Busy-ness
A business isn’t just a collection of tasks—it’s a team of people who need intentional management to perform at their best. It’s easy to see a busy team and naturally assume that means productivity, but as many CEOs and MDs discover, busyness doesn’t always equal progress.
The key isn’t about working harder—it’s about working smarter. When teams are aligned and focused on the right priorities, the results are game-changing. But without clear priorities and management, even the hardest-working teams can waste time on tasks that don’t drive results.
How to Shift from Busy to Productive
So, how can you ensure your team isn’t just busy but genuinely productive?
Start by evaluating where their time and energy are going. Ask yourself:
- Is everyone focusing on the tasks that directly drive business results?
- Does the team have a clear understanding of what they need to deliver each week—whether that’s results, processes, or outcomes?
- Are workflows efficient, or does work fall through the cracks, leaving the MD to pick it back up when it’s not completed?
From here, it’s about ensuring every team member knows their role, their responsibilities, and what they’re expected to deliver. When everyone is clear on what success looks like and how their work fits into the bigger picture, the focus naturally shifts from just staying busy to achieving meaningful results.
The Results Speak for Themselves
When you ask these questions and implement the right changes, the gains are substantial—both in time saved and results delivered. CEOs and MDs are surprised at just how much capacity is unlocked when inefficiencies are addressed, leadership is strengthened, and teams are aligned with clear priorities.
Here are some real outcomes my clients have achieved:
- 71% increase in productivity, achieved by helping the management team perform their tasks more effectively and focus on what truly drives results.
- 350 staff hours saved every month, freeing up time to focus on work that drives growth instead of repetitive, low-value tasks.
- £40k annual saving by avoiding the need to hire another team member, simply by redistributing tasks and improving delegation.
These results came from tackling the core drivers of performance—ensuring managers had the tools and skills to lead effectively, aligning the team around clear goals, and streamlining processes to eliminate wasted effort
The Missing Actions That Drive Effective Team Management
Turning a busy team into a high-performing one means addressing specific areas like accountability, focus, and motivation.
These changes are rarely obvious—it’s hard to see them from inside your own business. But when you get them right, the impact on performance and results is huge.
To help you uncover these opportunities and make the right changes, I’m hosting a free masterclass.
In this session, I’ll share practical strategies that CEOs and MDs have used to get their teams working more effectively and consistently delivering the results their business needs.
We’ll cover:
- The Accountability Shift: Why most team managers fail to follow through on actions—and the practical steps to create a culture of ownership and reliability.
- Sustainable Team Focus: How to get your team consistently working on the right priorities, avoid distractions, and eliminate time wasted on non-essential tasks.
- Driving Real Motivation: Why traditional incentives fall short and how to cultivate an environment where your team is energised, engaged, and eager to deliver results.
Ready to Build a Productive, High-Performing Team?
If you’re ready to see your team deliver at their best, join my masterclass – “How to Get Your Managers to Actually Manage – & Save 8+ Hours of Firefighting Every Week”
Click here to reserve your spot: https://go.leannebridges.com/highperformingteam
This masterclass isn’t about working harder—it’s about getting better results with the team you already have while building a strong foundation for sustainable business growth.