When Bad Process Beats Good People: Strategies for Measuring and Improving Your Team

In manufacturing, we’re all about results! Whether you’re looking at quality, safety, or productivity, it’s important to know how you’re performing. But when it comes to measuring people, it can be a bit trickier to determine if you’re making the best investment. After all, you can’t exactly measure people the same way you measure inventory or cash flow.

So how can you successfully measure your team? Martin Low, the CEO and founder of On Plane Consulting, recently came onto the Mindfulness Manufacturing podcast to discuss the best strategies for measuring your team, clarifying your processes, and creating a culture where everyone shows up at their best.

Strategy #1: Establish a Baseline

You can’t measure something without a ruler—and on floor, you can’t measure your team’s performance or productivity without a baseline. To find the best ways to measure your team, establish a baseline. Think about what “good” looks like for your team and lay out clear expectations.

Strategy #2: Curiosity Over Judgement

When someone on your team is underperforming, don’t jump to the easy solution of firing them. Instead, take the time to have a curious conversation. Approach with curiosity instead of judgement, and you might find a productive, creative solution to the issue.

Strategy #3: Provide Clarity

If your team is struggling or underperforming, look to your processes. If your processes are inadequate or unclear, even your most motivated team members could be falling behind. Make sure everyone on your team understands the processes and goals. As a leader, it’s also up to you to take accountability for your team and provide clear processes.

Strategy #4: Create a Culture of Productivity, Not Survival

Everyone only has so much energy to expend in a day. To help your team members use their energy in the most productive ways, create processes that allow them to do more than just get through the day. If unclear processes lead to mistakes or setbacks, it could be a sign that your team needs clearer baselines to perform their work in the most productive, energy-efficient ways.

Bonus Tip: Try a Survey!

To see if your team is aligned, do a survey. Ask questions to make sure they understand your organization’s processes, goals, mission, and values. Through this, you’ll gain a greater understanding of what your team does and doesn’t understand. Then, you can find ways to add more clarity, curiosity, and communications into your culture and processes.

Learn More on the Podcast

To learn more about measuring your team and clarifying your processes with Martin Low, check out his episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing here.

Mindfulness Manufacturing

Our show is about providing listeners with real stories that come from a place of experience, transparency, and authenticity. Most importantly it’s about what we learn from these stories and applying Mindfulness in our everyday work and personal lives.
Our intention is to create an environment where people can learn through open honest discussions on how we apply Mindfulness. Although our experiences and stories come from time in a manufacturing environment hence the title “Mindfulness Manufacturing”, we still see our discussions and topics relatable to any organization or profession.

What’s the secret to retaining your team members and creating an organization where people love to work? DigiKey, an electronic component manufacturing organization in Thief River Falls, Minnesota has it all figured out—and Shane Zutz, DigiKey’s vice president of human resources, is here to share the stories and insights behind DigiKey’s success!

In this episode, Shane shares stories highlighting the importance of curiosity, empathy, and leadership presence, and offers simple-yet-powerful strategies manufacturing leaders can put into action to build trust, accountability, and stronger connections at their own plant.

5:12 – Building a better organization starts with being present and making personal connections

8:13 – If your organization is in a small community, making personal connections is extremely important

9:00 – To find curious ways to engage your team, one strategy is to create a list of questions to ask

13:30 – With a strong foundation, you’ll be better equipped to tackle challenges or crises

15:11 – There is a lot of value in simple gestures, like greeting your team in the morning

18:12 – Personalization goes a long way

22:41 Show care and concern for your team members

Connect with Shane Zutz

Learn more about Digikey

Connect with Shane on LinkedIn and reach out to get added to his newsletter

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks for tuning it to another episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing! To learn more about Trevor Blondeel and Manufacturing Greatness, please visit our website or contact Trevor here.