What Makes People Productive
By John Grubbs

When many companies think of productivity, they often focus on machines, processes, and results. They think of cycle times, down time and up time. They think of efficiencies and bottlenecks. The tendency is to consider the way things are produced and not the people who produce them. How do people impact productivity? What influence does the individual have when it comes to the bottom line successes of a company?

If a company wants people to be productive they must recognize that individuals need to understand their value to that productivity. Whether they produce a component or the end product, the work must be translated into something worthwhile so people can have an emotional stake in the tasks they perform. An employee is more energized when he or she understands that making a quality stabilizer component for an automobile is critical to the safety of the buyer. The apparent mundane task takes on new meaning when the employee realizes the possible impact on the lives of others.

Comprehending the expectation of the job and the overall goals of the department are also critical to people being productive. For the most part, we are competitive beings and we want to be successful at home, work or play. It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work that drives the same old routine. Having clear and concise goals that are shared by each team member creates the energy and competitive edge for employees. Without clearly defined goals the task has a tendency to become routine and meaningless.

Values drive the decisions people make every minute, hour, and day on the job. Without common “operational and functional” values, people miss the importance of the value of their work. For example, if the value of producing quantity overshadows the value of quality, there may be higher quantity and less quality. This simple concept is lost in many companies because they forget that functional values cause the competitive edge. When values are clear and operational, high quality people will produce high quality products.

People must be in control of the work that they do. A famous and progressive executive was once asked, “With all this freedom in your company, how do you maintain control?” His answer was very prophetic in that he neither wanted nor needed control of his people. Giving people the authority to make decisions is critical if a company wants high levels of productivity. Consider your own job. What happens to your energy level when you are in the middle of a task and you have to stop to ask permission to take the next step? For most people it drains their confidence, enthusiasm and energy. Leadership must trust people to make the best decisions. Decision-making is easier when people believe they have the responsibility and authority to perform their jobs.

Being clear about expectations, responsibilities and roles is critical to being productive on the job. What is my responsibility? When and how do I need to take action? What resources do I have to make it happen? These questions define the field and provide the energy to take action when necessary. When clear expectations and responsibilities are understood and combined with the desire to contribute creatively a team will be productive. People thrive on challenges. When employees are challenged they have higher levels of motivation and energy.

Another key to being productive is keeping people motivated. The majority of any endeavor is in the day-to-day activities that create a successful end result. It is imperative that employees receive encouragement, motivation, and appreciation as they perform daily. These activities create the disciplined behaviors that result in high productivity. When employees are sufficiently motivated, discipline will take care of itself. Sports serve as a good example. When athletes practice they are preparing for a “win.” Companies do a similar process as they spend time and energy performing daily “quality” work that eventually results in success. When small successes are recognized, employees are energized and motivated to accomplish the big success. Leadership has the opportunity to ensure positive results when they appreciate the efforts of their people. A side benefit is that it’s also more fun for leaders and employees.

There are various factors that play a role in the success of an organization: engineering, science, company tradition, and others. However, the most critical and most often overlooked aspect is the energy of the individual. When a leader increases the energy of employees he or she also increase productivity. When leaders focus on blame and criticism, energy is decreased. As a result he or she is actually draining the very energy of the people they want to be productive. Energetic employees have higher levels of enthusiasm, morale and desire to be productive.

I would like to acknowledge and recommend two books that further discuss and amplify my thoughts. “Energy Matters” by Dr. Bob Rausch and “Gung Ho” by Ken Blanchard are great tools to enhance productivity. Read these books and apply the principles and you will have better individual and organizational productivity.

John Grubbs wrote the Book on Understanding Regulations.