Productivity: Going all out to achieve remarkable things

Regular reviewing your practices and processes results in continuous improvement of methods and outcomes, and improved productivity. You and your team should regularly question, measure and make changes to processes to enable the business to deliver faster, and reduce costs without compromising product or service quality.
 

 “To discover new ways of doing something - look at a process as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time."  - Mitchel Martin

Eyes wide open

If you have good people in place, using sound processes, you’re in a stronger position to drive up productivity, giving you a significant advantage over your competitors. You’ll be able to avoid passing on increases in the price of your inputs, allowing you to maintain or even build sales volume. You’ll be more competitive, and be able to offer special pricing to gain market share or stimulate demand while maintaining margin and profit. 

If you focus on improving processes or systems, so your team can be more productive, you can direct more of your effort toward exploring new opportunities and business development.

 

Sound people practices are key building blocks

Best practice tips for engaged, productive staff:

• Acknowledge and recognise that your good staff are the backbone of your business. Consider all options for how to attract, keep and develop your top-performing staff.

 

• Avoid cutting back on staff, particularly good skilled staff, simply to cut costs.

 

• Communicate openly and transparently (where appropriate) about all decisions being taken in the business.

 

• Deliver positive messages to staff whenever possible.

 

• Determine how busy people really are and how that matches up with the work volumes the business needs to remain productive.

 

• Create respect, trust and loyalty among all your staff.

 

• Get out of the office and visit the coalface. Find out for yourself who the productive members of your staff are and identify those who are underperforming.

 

• Give clear direction and management support.

 

• Implement flexible working arrangements that work both for the business and your top-performing employees.

 

• Include staff in decision-making where possible and seek their input.

 

• Listen to what your staff have to say – they speak daily to customers, suppliers, representatives, distributors, etc.

 

• Offer both financial (where possible) and non-financial incentives to keep top-performing staff.

 

• Offer coaching, training, mentoring and support.

 

• Provide continual feedback.

 

• Show appreciation and recognise, praise and reward high-performing staff whenever possible, and publicly where possible.

 

• Strive to make the workplace an enjoyable place.

 

• Treat your people like they are important business partners and the custodians of your business culture.

 

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