Lean or Leaning?

Everyone likes to brag that they have a lean team. Over the past few years this has come to mean that when someone leaves, their work is absorbed by the rest of the team. But a closer look often reveals a different reality. A lot of employees have become so overloaded that instead of being lean, their leaning and in danger of falling over!

First, do you have a comprehensive list of what is essential for each job on your team? Do you really know what work is essential for customer/client delight and what is simply the routine that has always been done?

Second, is every associate on your team able to complete their essential tasks for the day - every day? Or, are they taking work home or scrambling to make it up first thing the next morning? What is the work to results ratio that you expect and your team shoots for?

Third, do your associates have to put off training or other essential planning activities because they are too busy? Just being busy is not productive or profitable.  Take a deep breath and ask your team to evaluate the current workload. Are they lean - getting all essential customer tasks completed on time and within budget? Or are they leaning - constantly having to shift something to get something else done because it is the biggest fire of the day?

Be encouraged,

Barry