Productivity can be an uncomfortable thing to talk about. Identifying what to do to increase output without increasing labour costs or investing in new equipment can be challenging.
Whilst there are tools and techniques that enable waste to be identified and new ways of working developed, creating the right environment for these changes to stick is critical.
Sustaining increases in productivity requires a transformation in how we think about time, and who and what is valuable in our organisation.
Time is a currency in our culture — the majority of people in the UK are paid for their time by the hour/day/month. But, I would argue that unconsciously attendance becomes the driver rather than our output.
When we focus our attention on managing time and attendance is it surprising that we get people who believe that the time they attend is the most important thing.
I wonder what would happen if:
- We offered our teams the opportunity to finish their working week when their work was complete to required quality, cost and ready for delivery without losing any pay?
- Instead of paying overtime to rectify errors, offer a premium for getting it right first time, every time?
People are our most important asset is a statement often quoted and has perhaps become clichéd. I find the language interesting. Whilst I appreciate the intent is to recognise the value of people in an organisation, the word ‘asset’ also suggests ownership and I think this is unhelpful; particularly in the context of productivity improvement.
Why? Because any unconscious belief that employees are “owned” by an organisation sets up an unhealthy power dynamic.
All the successfully sustained improvement programmes I have delivered have had one thing in common: they have transformed the organisation’s relationship with its customers by intentionally developing a culture where the leaders, managers and associates see the value they bring to each other.
Whilst customers are of course essential, an organisation’s employees should be the priority, which Richard Branson sums it up beautifully: “Clients don’t come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees they will take care of your clients.”
When leaders and managers serve the people serving customers by understanding their challenges and removing internal obstacles to doing things effectively, truly great things happen!
What we celebrate and admire gives us a strong indication of what we value. When plant or IT systems fail we are relieved when a particularly skilled individual steps in, solves the problem and gets things up and running again.
It’s natural to celebrate that the problem has been solved and things are working again, however, we can get addicted to the endorphins associated with that sense of relief. Putting out fires becomes much more satisfying than preventing them and this unconsciously influences our behaviour.
However, if we celebrate everyday successes — delivering products and services to required standard in a timely way — and sharing customers’ positive feedback we can shift attention and effort to getting it right first time, every time.
In conclusion, tools and techniques are important components of any productivity improvement intervention. From my experience though, these are rarely sustained without a courageous paradigm shift in how we view time, and who and what is valued in the way we work.