Most startups and small businesses fold within their first two years. And with that in mind, it makes sense that employee productivity can feel like one of the many metrics which can make or break your business. Getting work done efficiently and meeting client deadlines is absolutely critical to build the trust and reliability you need. But that can mesh relatively poorly with the expectations of employees, who often expect that a smaller company will provide them with less stress and more flexibility.

But the worst thing business owners and managers can do is crack the whip to try and squeeze more productivity out of their employees.…