Question: We”™re not as productive as we should be. To be honest, it”™s probably me, as the owner, getting in the way of productivity. It just seems like we”™re always busy but not making money the way we should. It makes me wonder: What”™s the point?
Thoughts of the day: Building an organization that can run smoothly, accurately, efficiently and productively should be every business owner”™s goal. Figure out at what stage the business goes from building infrastructure to realizing real profits. Stop interrupting people, chasing down problems and worrying about every little detail. Trust your team. Don”™t be a helicopter; be a cheerleader.
A loss of productivity could stem from a lot of sources, such as a change the work required or interrupted work flow. Altering the schedule without warning will cause people to be unhappy about what they”™re doing. Poor communication or no communication about what is expected will leave people waiting for instruction. Speeding up work flow when your team isn”™t ready, or asking people to work in difficult conditions or with inadequate equipment, can result in unhappy and unproductive employees. An unproductive work flow can lead to lots of overtime and poor quality of work.
It”™s all about shifting gears from what”™s going wrong to what has to happen for things to go right. Predictability comes from building and sticking with a realistic, well thought-out plan, which addresses the organization”™s shortcomings in the context of moving forward.
When everyone knows what is expected and can rely on everyone else to do their part, things tend to flow smoothly. That means getting everyone on the same page, solving the same problems and seeing how their part fits into a smooth-running whole. Ask the team to build a realistic plan to get from here to where you want to be.
Most businesses are unprofitable at one point in time or another. They have to get through growth hurdles and maneuver around unforeseen challenges. It takes knowing when to press on the gas pedal and speed things up, and when to use the brake and slow things down. Companies can get into trouble when one individual or one department gets strong and keeps on ploughing ahead even though other parts of the organization are struggling. The goal is to build a team that is equally strong in all areas: sales, finance, marketing, operations and human resources.
Unfortunately most business owners are intimately tuned to what”™s going wrong ”” all the time. They hear about it from everyone. They focus on it because they are dialed into the consequences. They can personally take the hit financially if things go wrong. They know their company”™s reputation is on the line all the time.
The inclination when things are going wrong is to interrupt and hover until things are fixed. Think helicopter parent. There are also helicopter owners: “Tell me what”™s wrong; I”™m here to help.” “Let me jump in to assist.” “Give it to me. I”™ll do it.” “Don”™t do anything more until you fix this.” “I”™m so concerned. I”™m going to step in and take over.”
When problems come up, check in with the team to be sure they”™re aware. Ask the team to provide information on what they plan to do to move forward. Get someone on the team to run the numbers, to show everyone how things will likely play out, taking risk and variability into account. Listen carefully. Nod. Encourage. Let the team handle the details and learn from the experiences they go through.
Make sure your people know you have their back. Believe in them. Know they”™re working in your best interests. Encourage people. Get rid of the doom and gloom. Set everyone”™s sights on the benefits of doing things well, the rewards that come from a job well done.
Craft conditions where people can succeed and feel successful. Encourage people to be healthy and do what you can to make sure they have the time and resources to achieve that. Be aware of the stresses that come from work-life imbalance, job overload and being unprepared to handle the work at hand. Make sure people are engaged in work that is meaningful to them and that they get the training they need to perform well.
Set realistic expectations. When things don”™t come in as planned, learn how to recognize and acknowledge the difference between incomplete progress and a plan that isn”™t going to work. Instead of getting bogged down in what went wrong, focus on the progress that”™s been made so far. Encourage people. Show everyone around you that you believe in what you”™re all working to achieve. Express thanks.
Looking for a good book? Try “Lead With Purpose: Giving Your Organization a Reason to Believe in Itself” by John Baldoni.
Andi Gray is president of Strategy Leaders Inc., strategyleaders.com, a business-consulting firm that specializes in helping entrepreneurial firms grow. She can be reached by phone at 877-238-3535. Do you have a question for Andi? Send it via email to AskAndi@strategyleaders. Visit AskAndi.com for an entire library of Ask Andi articles.
