How to Use a Wallboard As a Motivational and Productivity Tool?

By Nashaat A Quadri

Wallboard is actually an advanced version of an office white-board that was traditionally used to communicate key business metrics.

The real-time data displayed by the electronic wallboards actually help the employees to prioritize their tasks and decide their action steps.

The benefits of using wall boards 
These are mostly used to communicate information in real-time so that everybody is on the same page and business is conducted according to the plan.

The biggest advantage of using electronic boards is that you can communicate with the teams in real-time. It helps you make an organization agile and swift, which can be your biggest asset in the long run.

How to smartly use the wall boards? 
When we talk about the selection of data to be displayed on boards, it becomes important to display the information that is relevant and useful for the organization.

Therefore, the interface should be clutter-free and easy to understand. The most effective electronic display are those in which information is displayed in a clear, concise and comprehend-able format.

That's the reason the latest wallboard software use info-graphics rather than numbers and boring tables.

Set up and customize your wall boards 
Advanced display software enables users and managers to set up and customize the display according to the business needs. Dynamic, graphical and interesting display of information is far more effective than displaying data in a purely numerical format.

Gaming display techniques are also used to make the board's' content even more interesting and engaging.

Smart use of graphics for better engagement 
Imagine the contact center agents or the employees on the floor being compared to athletes on a running track. The best performer among them is shown as the athlete, who is ahead of the rest on the track. It is an interesting way to convey the desired information to motivate other team members.

Or imagine the rockets hitting the skyscrapers used to depict the sales performances of the individuals. It enhances overall productivity on the floor and encourages healthy competition among the team members.

Choose your messages to reduce stress on the floor 
It is important for the managers to choose the information that is displayed on the boards. For example, contact center employees are often under tremendous stress and sometimes the going gets really tough for them.

At times, the key performance indicators (KPIs) on the display boards can be quite disappointing and demoralizing for the teams. In such an environment, the managers should not focus too hard on the metrics that may eventually lead to even more stress and negativity on the floor.

Replace them with light inspirational and motivational messages and appreciate the key achievements of the employees even during that tough phase.

Establish positive and healthy communication 
In my view, wallboards should be used smartly. The objective should be to create positive vibes on the work floor and encourage healthy competition apart from ensuring that the business is heading in the right direction.

The innovative steps that the managers can take may include customizing and setting up the boards in such a manner that they not only display the key business metrics and KPIs but also act to boost the overall employee morale.

The messages should be smartly chosen to motivate the employees on the floor. For example, the entire focus shouldn't be on the quantity and numbers. If somebody is exhibiting excellent quality or a parameter that is often overlooked, he or she should be rewarded and acknowledged for that.

Display the bigger picture 
If a contact center employee has a higher AHT or the average handling time, but at the same time he also has a high score in terms of problem resolution or closing of the sales, it should be mentioned and highlighted on the display boards.

Use soft reminders 
As far as the key performance indicators are concerned, a soft reminder is the best technique. For example, if the overall average handling time of a team is going up, it might be a cause of concern and a soft reminder will help the team to take the corrective measures.

Identify the need for training 
Similarly, if a team is consistently performing well at sales, while another team is putting up a dismal performance, the training manager can identify the need for training and put the concerned team back into training rooms.

The idea is to enhance the overall productivity and not just target or ridicule someone based on their poor performance. That's the reason, managers should be extremely cautious while choosing the way information is displayed on the boards.

Soft reminders are extremely useful but they should be used judiciously and selectively so that it doesn't lead to negative sentiments on the floor. Display boards are a powerful tool to enhance productivity and to organize your business but an insensitive display of information may increase the stress levels of the employees. It might also increase the attrition rate.

Display only useful information 
Don't display unnecessary information on the boards, because it might distract users. Keep it interesting and engaging' otherwise, it will defeat its entire purpose.

Only the relevant information should be displayed so that the overall quality and productivity can be increased.

Choose the right frequency for communication 
Again, choosing a frequency is extremely important. In the meantime, the managers can creatively use the wall boards to share useful information and product updates. This will help the agents improve their product knowledge and reduce the need to conduct additional training sessions.

Display dynamic scripts 
In a contact center environment, the wall boards can also be used to display dynamic scripts in order to facilitate agents and to train them to handle different types of calls.

There are various creative and innovative methods that can be used to improve the overall efficiency and productivity on the work floor using wall displays and agent desktops.

Bring warmth and use personalized techniques 
Wish your employees on their birthdays and anniversaries, so that they feel valued.

Use your wall boards for product updates 
Use your display to offer your employees the latest information, tips and tricks, scripts, product updates, industry updates and training material for effective learning and higher productivity.

Ongoing and live training offered through the display boards will reduce the need to conduct additional training sessions that might be counterproductive in terms of lost work hours.

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