My two top guys are worried about workload, which regularly goes from too much to not enough. I think part of the problem is one unreliable guy, but they tell me they can”™t survive without him. I have to make sure everyone is properly trained, but training slows things down. If we staff up to handle time for training, by the time we finish training, there won”™t be enough work for everyone. Seems like we can never get the balance just right.
Thoughts of the Day: Make sure each person on your operations team is in the right job. Measure workload and productivity in reports that everyone can see. Weed out misfits as the workload slows down. Hire and train before it gets busy. Set a goal that everyone can get behind.
Start by asking yourself, are you ready to step up as a manager and hold yourself accountable for properly managing the people who work for you? Getting to the heart of everyone who works for you includes recognizing people when they excel, identifying when they struggle, diagnosing what”™s not working and identifying ways to move and train. It”™s important to follow through until things are on track and inspiring people to do their very best.
What does each employee look forward to contributing to your company: Revenue; great client engagement; accurate time keeping; quality work and fewer errors; jobs done fast?
Ask each person what he or she looks to accomplish. Find out if new challenges are inspiring or overwhelming. How many people do you have who like to get in a groove and repeat their successes doing the same thing over and over? How many need frequent new trials to keep their attention? Match assignments to individual needs. Fewer challenges with slower paced tasks for people who excel at repetitive work. More tests and a faster pace for those who are easily bored.
Measure as much as possible. Error rate, redo”™s, number of tasks completed, amount billed to customers, amount of refunds: these are a few of the basics. Think about what you consider important as people work to address the needs of each client.
Set up individual measures so that people can gauge their progress. Make sure that individual measures add up to a productive whole. Produce and post graphics showing how people and departments are performing. Peer pressure and offers of help to those who are struggling can lead to improvements.
Successful employment is earned on both sides: manager and employee. Identify when the fit isn”™t right and do something about it. This is as essential as appreciating when things are going great.
Most businesses have busy and slow periods. Use downtime to weed out, refresh the team and train motivated participants. The goal is to have a team of high performers ready to go for the next busy period, while keeping the best of the team engaged during slow times.
As each slow period begins, use layoffs to weed out underperformers, resist the temptation to hang onto someone because of fear they can”™t be replaced. An empty spot gets filled faster than a slot held by an underperformer. Look for new hires while things are busy and line up candidates to hire when things are slow. Use slow periods to train new hires and upgrade skills of existing employees. Get people ready for the next upward trend.
Make sure that all employees have an assigned manager. Managers should be interested in knowing what makes their subordinates tick. Make sure they are invested in helping set and achieve goals.
A good manager helps each person figure out how to align personal and business goals. Some employees want to go home on time, some want to stay late to earn overtime, many take pride in a job well done. Understanding employees”™ needs and wants helps a manager knit together a whole solution that delivers on company goals.
Looking for a good book? Try “How to Manage and Motivate Every Employee: 24 Proved Tactics to Spark Productivity in the Workplace” by Anne Bruce.
Andi Gray is President of Strategy Leaders Inc., StrategyLeaders.com, a business-consulting firm that teaches companies how to double revenue and triple profits in repetitive growth cycles. Have a question for AskAndi? Wondering how Strategy Leaders can help your business thrive? Call or email for a free consultation & diagnostics: Â 877-238-3535, AskAndi@StrategyLeaders.com. Check out our library of business advice articles: AskAndi.com
