Staying Productive in the Summer

July 8, 2019 By // by Andrew Shaffer

My wife and I like to take advantage of the kids being out of school to do some activities with the kids. When we start planning our activities and our summer is busy! By the time we schedule camping trips, vacations, weekends at the beach, camps for the kids, and time with friends, the summer just flies by! On top of all that I’m still expected to work! And, everyone I work with is juggling the same crazy summer schedules! How is anyone expected to stay productive?

Staying Productive in the Summer

Do you find it harder to stay productive in the summer months? I know I do. People that take family vacations. And, they use vacation time to take off Fridays to make long weekends for beach trips or camping weekends.

I have heard many times that people just like to ride out the summer and expect to get busy again in September, once the kids are back in school. While the summer months are more difficult, it doesn’t have to be a slow time. This week I am sharing some tips for staying productive through the summer months, while still being able to enjoy yourself!

Plan for it

We know we are taking vacations and we must plan for it. Most of us have a last-minute push before we go on vacation. We create a list of things we must do before we leave. We do this so we don’t leave any loose strings while we are gone. But do we plan for what needs to be done before we get back? Planning for work to get done while you are away, will benefit you in many ways. First, when you get back you won’t have as many unfinished tasks to attend to. Second, there will be less impact on those that are still at work.

We know our colleagues are taking vacations. We have a last-minute push to get our tasks done before we leave, and maybe even some tasks that need to get done while we are away. But how often do we consider our colleagues vacation schedules. Have you ever been in the situation where you needed input from a colleague on a project, only to find out they are on vacation? Then, you must wait until they get back to get your answer! Perhaps you could have prioritized your tasks differently so you could get what you needed from the colleague BEFORE they went on vacation!

It takes a little coordination and up-front effort but knowing when you and your colleagues will be out of the office, and planning for it ahead of time, can help your productivity this summer.

Ask for help

Planning can help, but it isn’t perfect. There are tasks that need your input when you are out of the office. It is a good idea to ask for help from a colleague, while you are out of the office. Delegate your authority to someone while you are out of the office. The key here isn’t just to list a point of contact. For example, “If you need immediate assistance contact Jim.” If I call Jim and all he can do is take a message and let me know when you’ll be back in the office, Jim isn’t really a delegate is he?

Find someone competent that you TRUST. Then, delegate full authority to them in your absence for any decisions or input needed on your behalf. The key here is to trust your delegate and allow them to make decisions. This might mean you have to brief them on project status or objectives before leaving. And, you’ll have to live with any decisions make on your behalf. Delegating authority can help others remain productive while you are away and relieve some of the stress when you get back!

This Week’s Challenge

Taking a vacation over the summer is important. Spending time with family and friends this summer can help you recharge your batteries and stay fresh and focused. Too many times our vacations are interrupted by work. Or, you dread of all the things you must do when you get back. Before your next vacation, take some time to plan for getting your projects done while out of the office, and delegating someone you trust to fill in while you are away. Now go enjoy the summer!

If you would like to discuss more ways to help your business grow or if you feel you have a specific problem that needs to be addressed, please reach out to me.

Evaluating Talent

June 10, 2019 By // by Andrew Shaffer

I was coaching my 7 year old’s baseball game last week when one of the kids asked me if I was a “real” coach. When I asked him what a “real” coach was, he said someone that coaches Major League Baseball. For the record I am not a MLB level coach, but I was flattered that he thought so highly of my skills. It did get me to think about how many different seasons I have been coaching. This week I am going to share with you some of the things I’ve learned about evaluating players, their impact on the team, and how this relates to your business.

Evaluating Talent

In the more than fifteen seasons I’ve coached various sports (some as head coach others as an assistant) I have noticed there are three types of kids that play sports. We have the kids that are there because their parents want them to. These kids go through the motions of playing, but don’t really enjoy it. There are those that are there to play. These are the ones that show up to practice, do the drills, contribute in the games.

Good players only think about the sport when they are practicing or during a game. Then there are what I call the ball players. Ball players are the first ones there, last to leave. They always give it there best, and they practice between practices. They play ball outside, not on a video game. These players give any team a competitive advantage.

Businesses have the same three levels of employees.

Paycheck Collectors: Paycheck collectors show up just for a paycheck. They do the bare minimum, and complain about doing that.
Work Horses: Then there are your work horses. Work horses come in, do the work needed. They do solid work, but rarely go above and beyond.
Superstars: Then there are your superstars. These are the people that are there early, stay late, and get the job done no matter what.

If your company has people there just to collect a paycheck, you might want to consider why you are still employing them. This article will talk about the difference between your work horses and superstars and why developing superstars impacts your bottom line.

Level of Competition

My boys play sports, and there are basically two levels of sports. There are the recreational (rec) leagues and there are the competitive leagues (or travel teams). The rec leagues are filled with kids that play ball, and occasionally a player that is there because their parents want them to play. In rec league we can have some intense games, and decent players, but we don’t really play at a high level. Occasionally a team will have a ball player (we’ll call him/her a ringer). This is a person we consider that should be playing at a higher level of competition.

Ball players play at a higher level of competition. These players are the ones that are on travel team, all-star teams, or play in the little league world series. Ball players elevate the level of performance for the entire team, and when surrounded by other ball players, the team competes at a whole different level.

Your employee base is filled with those that play ball (work horses) or ball players (superstars). Identifying potential ball players on your staff, and developing them to their highest potential will give you a competitive advantage. Even if you are not the business owner, and work for someone else, learning to become a ball player, and elevating your level of play will take your career to the next level.

Retention

In most little league organizations, the older the kids get the less kids that actually come out and play. For example, in my local organization, when my oldest started there were eight teams in his age group. Today there are three teams. That means roughly 60% of the kids that played a few years ago have stopped playing. Now, the competitive teams, the travel teams, are generally still intact. They might lose a player here and there, but they don’t have the 60% turnover that the rec leagues experience.

Employee retention is expensive for companies. Studies show that to replace talented employees can cost 150% of their salary. Not to mention the impacts of lost production and morale on your team. Developing your talent to ball player status, and creating a company that plays competitive ball, will help you improve retention and avoid unnecessary costs associated with losing good people.

Productivity

When a rec team has a ball player on the roster, the other teams take notice, and quickly. Why? Because they are more productive than anyone else on the field/court. This is the basketball player that scores more than your entire team combined or the baseball player that always hits the ball to the fence and pitches harder than anyone in the league. This is the kid that is faster and kicks harder than any other soccer player. They give you a competitive advantage because they produce more.

I read a statistic the other day that high performers produce 400% more than their mediocre counterparts. Wow! That means if that person left your company, it would take four people just to get the same level of production that you were getting for one! Let me ask you, how would your company benefit from having someone that was that productive? Maybe two or three people like that? These are your ball players. They come to work and produce. They are engaged, motivated, and energetic about their work.

This Week’s Challenge

Take a look at your company and the competitive landscape. Are you playing rec league, or are you playing competitive? Do you have employees that are there to play ball, or even worse employees that are collecting a paycheck, or does your team develop and attract ball players?

If you want to get real results, you must be playing competitive ball, AND must identify and develop your talent to maximize their potential. Next week, I’ll talk about how to retain and attract ball players to your company, and it’s more than just a hefty salary!

If you would like to discuss more ways to help your business grow or if you feel you have a specific problem that needs to be addressed, please reach out to me.

Three Qualities of Productive People

April 1, 2019 By // by Andrew Shaffer

In my previous career, before starting my consulting business, I would occasionally have to work a weekend to finish up tasks that did not get done during the week. It always amazed me the amount of work I could do on a Saturday. It felt like I got a week’s worth of work done in just a few hours! I thought they should double my salary for the day! Was it really a week’s worth? No, but I did feel productive. Today’s article is going to discuss how to improve productivity. You’re an adult, I am not going to insult your intelligence by telling you that you need to close your email or silence your phone when trying to focus. I am going to share with you three qualities of productive people.

Three Qualities of Productive People

Most of us wish we could have more hours in the day. Why? So, we can be more productive! There is so much to do, and so little time. With all the multitasking, meetings, people asking “for a minute” (which is never a minute), work/life balance, being productive is a challenge. And if you’ve mastered productivity, perhaps others on your team haven’t. I have worked with, observed, and studied what makes people ultra-productive and today I am going to share these qualities with you.

Focus

Highly productive people have extreme focus. They have the ability to focus on one thing to the exclusion of all others. In my book, I talk about when I used to play sports as a kid. My parents would yell from the sidelines, and I would have no idea they were even there. It was just me and the opponent. I was focused on what I was doing. Actually, the focus I had while playing, would spill over into other aspects of my life. Because I learned to focus in sports, I was able to take that to my academics. I know this because when I stopped playing sports, my focus dropped.

In my professional career, I would often bother the busy person when I needed something done quickly. Why didn’t I go to someone with less of a workload? Because they didn’t have time to procrastinate. They’d focus, get it done, so they could go back to what they were doing. Learn to focus and improve productivity.

Enthusiasm

You aren’t going to be productive if you are not enthusiastic about your work. Ever work someplace, or take on a project you absolutely hated? How productive were you? Sure, you can get through it out of brute force and will power, but how long will that work. You have to find some enthusiasm in your work. This goes back to aligning your career with what you actually like to do. It also speaks to the importance of the right culture at work.

To develop enthusiastic and motivated employees – they go hand and hand – leaders have to focus on employee engagement. Enthusiastic employees bring a high level of energy to their work. They move faster, think faster, are more creative, and are more willing to help co-workers succeed. Creating an environment where people are engaged raises the enthusiasm in your company and will improve productivity.

Discretionary Effort

Discretionary effort is all about going the extra mile. If you look around the office at 5:00, do you see people finishing a task, or are they already heading for the door? Question: If they are already at the door, when did they stop working? Discretionary effort means people are there on time, and WORKING, not getting a cup of coffee and talking to Tom about the weekends NCAA tournament. It means working.

Discretionary effort means working until 5:00, and in many cases a little later to get something else off their plate today. Think about it, let’s say you lose 3 minutes in the morning, 3 minutes before and after lunch, and 3 minutes at the end of the day. That might look insignificant. It’s only 3 minutes. But 4 times a day x 5 days a week, that is a loss of an hour a week (that you are paying for). Multiply that by how many employees you have. How insignificant is 3 minutes now? Now imagine if they gave you an extra 3 minutes x 4 times a day x 5 days x #of employees. How much more can you get done?

As business owners and entrepreneurs, we are always giving discretionary effort. Are your employees? The beauty of employees giving discretionary effort is they do it because they want to, not because you tell them to.

This Week’s Challenge

Creating an engaged workforce increases focus, enthusiasm, and discretionary effort. This is real numbers, real productivity, real profits by investing in your company culture.

If you would like to discuss more ways to help your business grow or if you feel you have a specific problem that needs to be addressed, please reach out to me.

Business Impacts of Low Unemployment

March 11, 2019 By // by Andrew Shaffer

Almost every month, I hear someone talking about low unemployment, and more jobs available than people to fill those jobs. While that is great if you are in the market for a new job, it creates new problems for business owners. Previously, I wrote on this topic from an employee engagement standpoint. Today I am going to discuss some of the business impacts of low employment economy.

Business Impacts of Low Unemployment

The realities of low unemployment on a business can be a struggle. To stay in business, you have to continue to increase demand for your products or services. However, you may struggle with maintaining the proper staffing. Hiring is a challenge, because talented people already have a job. Productivity is another issue, because you must do more with less, or at least more with the same. So, you either invest in hiring someone and covering another salary, or your people are working overtime. Either way, employee costs are increasing. Let’s look at each of these troubles individually.

Recruiting

I am hearing ads on the radio saying that hiring companies must target individuals that already have jobs. The reality is the talent you need to drive your business forward is already working. If your recruiting, you probably need to woo talent from your competition. Well, this means your competitors are probably actively recruiting YOUR employees! Now your recruiting problem is compounded by a retention problem.

Do you have a strategy in place that focuses on employee attraction and retention? Why would your employees want to work for you if their competitor is offering them similar benefits but maybe more pay?

Productivity

The sad truth is you are probably looking at ways to do more with less. I can’t count how many times, when I was a project manager, I was asked if we could take on another project with the same amount of people. I really had no way of knowing. I’d do some analysis of how many hours my team was working each week, and forecasted the future workload to determine if I could do it. But I didn’t really have a way analyzing how to improve productivity and efficiency.

Obviously, employee retention impacts productivity. Losing an employee impacts the work that person was doing, but now others are required to “pick up the slack” until a replacement is found and trained. In the mean time people are not as effective as they could be with their primary responsibilities. Losing employees has a ripple effect on the team and organization through lost productivity, decrease in morale, and eventually profits.

Higher Labor Costs

Supply and demand dictates that when supply is less than demand that prices will increase. Talented, highly skilled people are in high demand, and the supply isn’t sufficient. There are some industries where this gap is even getting wider. So as your company grows, and you do have to hire, the cost of that talent is increasing. Salaries are going up! Your recruiting costs are increasing. Salaries are increasing, just so you don’t lose your top talent. Resulting in the cost of your services or products to increase.

As your costs increase, do you pass along the cost to your customers? Reduce profit?

This Week’s Challenge

This week, to address the business impacts of low employment economy, I recommend focusing on developing a strong employee retention strategy. Focus on employee development and engagement. When you create a company that develops and engages employees you will see improvements in productivity (do more with less), you’ll have a higher probability of retention, and will build a reputation as THE EMPLOYER OF CHOICE attracting desired candidates to your company. If your pay, benefits and culture is “competitive” in the market, how can you expect to dominate? Let them compete while you dominate!

If you would like to discuss more ways to help your business grow or if you feel you have a specific problem that needs to be addressed, please reach out to me.

productivity