Chronic employee staffing shortages can be a blatant sign that a company’s employment practices need improvement. One should be very hesitant to blame external forces beyond a given reasonable period. Too many companies are simply blind to their overall company’s poor employee practices in today’s ever-challenging landscape.
Employee staffing issues, productivity enhancements, profit improvement, and every other aspect of your business always need further refinement. Yet human behavior seems hell-bent on solving or improving a given area by using the same practices used in the past. Every consultation is different, yet some things remain the same. People are creatures of habit, and some of the issues dealt with during the consultations are very similar. For making positive changes and improvements, see the following three key areas that need to be addressed.
Key area number one is “Time Management” – Every department head should set aside time every month to follow Stephen Covey’s time management concepts.
“Are you too busy for improvement? Frequently, I am rebuffed by people who say they are too busy and have no time for such activities. I make it a point to respond by telling people, look, you’ll stop being busy either when you die or when the company goes bankrupt.”
Shigeo Shingo, Lean Manufacturing Expert
Suppose your company has all the department management team heads spending all their time doing the day-to-day project completion work. How do you expect them to make improvements in their given areas of responsibility? Stephen, the guru of effective time management, once created a simple matrix that has stood the test of time. By dividing a common task that is urgent and important into four groups (for matrix, See PDF or View in Full Issue), one can begin to understand some common-sense truths about time management. Too often, we are spending too much time in the quadrant of necessity (#1) while we neglect the quadrant of quality and improvement (#2). The quadrants of deception and waste (#3 and #4) should be self-explanatory. Neither group is essential, and both groups are characteristics of self-discipline that define an individual’s work ethics and drive.
The department heads need to spend time each month in the quadrant of quality and process improvement (#2). Taking the time that always seems too short of supply requires the entire management team’s concerted effort and active support. Failure is almost inevitable if it is delegated to a department head without the active participation of the whole management team. It has to be more than just talked about; everyone must play their role.
When the department heads spend more time on quality and process improvement, how do you think it will impact staffing and other issues? Every one of the items in the #2 quadrant is a means to improve efficiencies, improve standards, and help alleviate the most pressing problems.
The second key item is “Show Them How” – Most people (~80%) are willing to change their practices if shown how to make the change. (Reasons behind the ~20% who won’t change will be addressed in the leadership section below.) If you want to reduce turnover, improve efficiencies and overall profits, you will have to change your company’s current practices to achieve a higher level of performance.
Does your company support new practices training and development? Or are current training programs the same worn-out current practice reviews? What kind of returns could a company expect with an active new practices training program?
- Depending on the department and task, most case studies state an average gain of 5% to 25% in productivity directly related to new training programs. So, even if your company’s training results are on the lower end of 5%, you can see that it should be well worth the investment of money and time.
- In almost every case study, having outside professional assistance to bring fresh ideas and new practices to the group is one of the most effective means to make fundamental positive changes. Some studies claim for every $1 invested in a professional consultation, the payback is $6 to $10 gained. My studies have found on average, that after only three to four months of partial implementation of the many recommendations, the consultation was paid back in full.
A perfect example is training and implementing lean manufacturing practices in every area of your company, not just the manufacturing. Typical results across numerous case studies for effective lean manufacturing implementation are as follows:
- Increased overall productivity;
- Quality improvement while having lower reworks;
- Shorter lead time for scheduling;
- Lower overall cost while improving net margins; and
- According to every case study published on this topic, higher net profits for companies implementing an ongoing lean manufacturing practice compared to those who do not.
The final key area is “Leadership to Eliminate Barriers” – The final and most serious key to improving your operations is overcoming the barriers to change. According to psychology studies, “Modern cognitive theory states that people tend to perceive reality in light of pre-existing expectations and will ignore large amounts of contrary data before finally changing their minds.” In other words, we perceive the world the way we want regardless of the evidence that demonstrates an opposing viewpoint. Why is this so often the case? The answer is simple but difficult to overcome. In a word, it is pride. We cannot see that change is needed, or if we do indeed recognize the changes necessary, our pride blinds us and prevents us from admitting it. Too often, this is driven by a perceived threat to our area of influence, therefore, fear of lost power. We allow our pride to perceive everything as being right or wrong, as if by admitting that change is wanted or needed, we are saying, “We were wrong, and they were right.” What worked in the past was a good thing, but evolving to meet today’s challenges requires us to make changes and see things from a new perspective. To embrace more effective ideas for today’s challenges, we need to set aside pride and listen to others with different perspectives and experiences. Overcoming the natural tendencies of protecting existing practices, making process improvements, and overcoming the pride each of us has within us will take true leadership.
No one is better at providing your team with proven results. Go beyond the typical software and equipment vendor recommendations for your operations and do what many have dared to do. With TDC, cost savings and net profit gains that usually take months or years can be accomplished in weeks or months. The team of TDC is your best source for learning about proven and practical lean manufacturing best practices combined with industrial engineering principles to keep your company at the leading edge of competitiveness. Because we don’t receive any referral fees for plate or equipment recommendations, you can be assured of unbiased advisement. All areas are addressed, not just the manufacturing. Please do not take my word about TDC’s services, though. Read the public testimonials many current and past clients with decades of expertise and experience have been willing to give: https://todd-drummond.com/testimonials/.
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