Five barriers that complicate labor productivity

Despite overtime work, many of our workers miss their production quotas and deadlines to the absolute disappointment of management and our clients. What’s wrong with us? And how would you propose to solve our problem? — Don’t Know.
A priest received a donation of a male parrot with an acquired vocabulary of bad words from a dying owner who gave it to the parish church known to adopt orphaned animals. The result was embarrassing for the parishioners, until a spinster suggested that she take care of the bad-mouthed parrot by making it live with her well-behaved female parrot at home.
The old woman’s female parrot said nothing every hour except “let us pray” followed by The Lord’s Prayer. As soon as the two birds were put together, the cursing parrot took one look at the lady parrot and chirped:
“Hi, baby! How about a little kiss?” The female parrot responded gleefully: “Thank you Lord! My prayers have been answered!”
Sometimes, it takes “a little kiss” and a change of environment to make everything more positive. Of course, don’t forget to say a little prayer before doing anything. More often than not, managers busy themselves with meeting production quotas and deadlines and they forget to have a little celebration to change the mood of the overworked employees.
If not done, this results in complicated situations with the organization spending unnecessarily to pay the overtime premium even when workers do little to meet quotas and deadlines.
Coping with this type of pressure is not easy, but not necessarily hopeless. Achieving labor productivity can be simpled if you take the necessary steps to avoid the most common pitfalls, many of which are invisible to the naked eye. These include the following:
One, when the workers are not empowered to solve problems. The word “empowerment” has been around for some time, and yet many people managers don’t want to do it for fear of losing control. But that’s false thinking. Problem-solving and decision-making are not a monopoly of management. They should be delegated to the workers who are nearer to the issues. Otherwise, managers would have nothing to do except to fight fires.
Two, when the workers are not equipped with problem-solving tools. Empowering the workers requires that you provide them with proper training and the tools to identify and solve operational bottlenecks that are causing backlogs. There are many types of tools that the workers must be familiar with, such as fishbone diagrams, histograms, and the five whys, among others. These tools are easy to use and practical for solving production issues.
Three, when the workers are not informed of the real situation. Everyone must bring factual data. Clearly-defined timelines are not enough. They must be explained fully alongside with the regular sharing of information on percentage of defects, turnover rate, overtime costs, absenteeism and other related expenses. Correlate these with job security and the workers will be able to appreciate the value of those data.
Four, when the workers are forced to hit unrealistic targets. At times, this is acceptable, but not if it’s done on a regular basis. It’s also a reflection of poor planning. That’s why every manager must be on top of the situation to anticipate problems. Seeking daily feedback from the workers will allow you to do just that. This means that management must do daily “gemba” (shop floor walking) to see for themselves the real situation.
Last, when managers appear strict and unfriendly. Even if it’s unintentional, some managers are accustomed to showing negative body language. The solution, of course, is to stay positive, energetic, and full of confidence. It’s also important for all managers to acknowledge their mistakes promptly and be explicit about it by correcting their errors, including how they treat the workers. This can-do attitude will enhance their credibility.
Don’t let these issues overwhelm your management team. As long as you’re doing your best in a smart manner and ready to change for the better, then everything would be all right.
Making better use of the workers’ ideas can go a long way. In essence, this is co-ownership. If the workers know their ideas are welcome, they will respond completely. If they’re being appreciated by management, chances are, they will reciprocate positively. Of even greater importance is your management team’s ability to create a fun and enjoyable workplace that allows people to exchange “little kisses” with one another.
Don’t take this literally. This means creating excuses to celebrate small wins so people are energized to come up with small wins that contribute to big milestones.
ELBONOMICS: Managers must do the hard part, so the workers can do the easy part.
 
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