Productivity: Staying Ahead of the Game

?

November Means No More Work

While I laughed when I saw this statement in a meme, it was also a bit painful.

I’ve worked on projects with deadlines and goals that needed to be met before 12/31 of a given year. When I turned to the team for help, I was sometimes met with disdain. The employees pushed back, “My plate is full! “It’s the Holidays,” and then there were boozy Holiday celebratory lunches, further diminishing productivity.

As I’ve stated before, I don’t believe people don’t want to work; I think they don’t want to work the way work is (see The Future of Work). What are the solutions in the situations where the deadlines must be met?

If continuing with strong and growing operations even during the Holidays will enhance the organization, consider novel solutions. Here are a few ideas to ponder:

Test the Deadlines

There are so many issues going on here. One is, are the deadlines real? Or are we feeding our addiction to toxic hyperactivity? What impact will not be achieving the goal by December 31 have on the organization? Will business be lost? Operations suffer? Will slowing down create a competitive disadvantage?

If the answer is “no,” indulge in celebrations and don’t add any new obligations. There won’t be a business reason to do so.

Establish Letters of Agreement

Employment contracts are popular at the senior levels but rare at other organizational levels. There’s no reason a contract couldn’t be made for every employee.

My goal has always been to keep my small business and my clients out of court. I prefer Letters of Agreement (LOAs) over contracts. Technically, an LOA is a contract. However, words are important, and Agreement is a softer word than contract. Agreements suggest a partnership versus a hierarchy where the power lies at the top. They are not, in their best format, adversarial.

With Agreements, the employee has power to influence the outcome. They are not beholden to the person with the deadline (in this case me). In fairness to the team, I have no idea what family demands or situations they have at year-end. They might have children participating in a multitude of activities; they may be dealing with an illness or caring for an aging loved one. These people need grace.

I could foresee LOAs replacing performance evaluations. Performance evaluations are backward-looking. LOAs can be revised as the work changes, allowing each party to re-engage with the reality of the current demands.

Some suggestions that can be included in an LOA are:

• The employee takes a sabbatical from 11/1 to 1/15.
• The employee designs and submits alternative solutions to achieve the goal for discussion and evaluation.
• The employee recommends a substitute worker.
• The organization provides cross-training in other, less busy departments to help fill the gaps.
• The organization takes responsibility for securing labor during peak periods.
• Contractors are hired to fill the productivity gaps.
• Technological solutions are considered to help achieve goals.
• Communication is forefront and continuous, informing all affected parties of the reality of the situation and the attempts being made to devise a solution.
• The team is guided by a unified Purpose detailing why sound execution is essential and for the benefit of all.

When employees are part of the solution, it can promote retention and increase job satisfaction.

Consider Surge Staffing

Logistics companies, hospitality, and health care ramp up to respond to sudden increases in demand.

Surge staffing can revolutionize the way we live and work. There are untapped labor forces that could be ramped up to fulfill needs, including those over 50, retired professionals, the global workforce, and recent graduates.

The current systems direct anger and frustration toward a benevolent leader versus empowering employees and teams by sharing responsibility to devise solutions.

According to a recent study by Protiviti, executives predict that the ability to?attract and retain talent?is the 2nd greatest threat to businesses(following cyber security).

Organizations that crack the staffing code will develop a clear strategic advantage. The bold will risk trying new solutions, and as a result, they will lead, learn, adapt, and grow.

?