Training Staff To Be Productive And Efficient

When one thinks of productivity they need to take into account the various aspects in their interpretation of this concept.  Productivity incorporates both efficiency (how long it takes to perform a task) and effectiveness (how thoroughly is the task performed).  If your worker is so fast that they are not truly effective, you are not very productive in the end.  Everyone from Taylor to Deming to Walker all will stress the importance of developing and refining a process that is truly productive by being both effective and efficient.

One primary job of management is to analyze a job and work-load it in the most productive (effective and efficient) way possible so that the company can not only be competitive but also profitable.  To paraphrase Dave Ramsey, we must be willing to do what others are not willing to do in order to stay in the game.  Productivity has to do with work-loading the account, scheduling the work, developing flexible job cards (or a list of tasks by order of time), selecting the most appropriate tools and supplies, identifying the right worker, training them to task and then verifying that they are keeping to the established schedule.  

Periodically management may need to retune the contract by upgrading equipment, refining the job cards, retraining or replacing the worker to reflect changes in floor space/surface types, different tenants/owners, environmental or regulatory issues or tighten the specs to stay competitive.  Retuning should always be focused on enhancing efficiency (doing it faster) and enhancing effectiveness (doing it better or as well as before in shorter time frames.).  

The simple formula for Productivity is P = $$$ or productivity = dollars (as in profit margin).  Please do not rush out and purchase a lot of new equipment that promises to be more productive unless you can truly identify an estimated savings in labor due to increased productivity.  

Your comments and questions are important. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean…

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.