A good manager or lead employee can make all the difference on your operation floor in terms of productivity. Laura Stack of HR resource website TLNT provides tips for leaders to build a more positive and more productive work environment.

• Track productivity. You can’t manage if you are not tracking and measuring your team’s productivity. This will allow you to not only stay on track but see where challenges exist and what areas need help or attention.

• Ask for feedback. Regularly ask employees for their thoughts on how to improve processes on the floor. They may be able to alert you to gaps or problem areas as well as pointing out what is working well.

• Provide feedback. The flip side of asking for employee feedback is to provide feedback to employees. Be sure it is meaningful, specific and, if needed, provides suggestions on how to improve or overcome challenges.

• Set reasonable goals. If goals are not attainable employees will become discourage and possibly “give up”. Provide time-based milestones and objectives and provide suggestions and solutions on how these goals can be met (involve your employees in this discussion as well!).

• Trust and respect your team. Be involved in their work but make sure not to micromanage.

• Recognize good work. Specific recognition tailored to the employee can go a long way in motivating and improving the individual’s productivity. Be sure to take time to say thank you in big and small every day ways.

  Share what works for your operation to keep employees productive. [caption id="attachment_636" align="alignleft" width="300"] Source: examiner.com[/caption]