PERIODICALLY RESET THE UNIT BASELINES TO DRIVE PRODUCTIVITY

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eople behave to metrics and you can use your production metrics to enhance your profitability. Metrics are best when they are representative, rational and achievable. But you can also use them to create a culture of continual improvement.

Use the group average to set the minimum standards.

Don’t let your lowest producers set the standard for your operations. Allow your best performers to set the standard for everyone.

Leverage the success of top performers.

They are outperforming the rest for good reasons. Let them explain what they are doing to your other team members. Give them a forum to speak at a staff meeting or recognition meeting and allow them to share their expertise. Sharing best practices, experiences, ideas and tactics improves both engagement and productivity. Both will move the needle.

Periodically reset the new minimums.

Capitalize on your teams’ improvements by upping the bar at scheduled intervals. Don’t be overly random or scientific. Just pick the prior period average as the new floor and you will build a ladder of successful productivity. If you use their actual performance averages, you will simultaneously capture the benefits of the leaders and also avoid a protracted discussion about fairness. Hey, it’s the average so that means most people are already making the goals. If someone isn’t, give them a forum (as above) to learn how to improve. But insist on improvement.