Making a major change isn’t easy. It’s even harder if you’re not the one mandating the change, and instead, you’re being asked to get on board and follow the directives of another decision-maker. This is exactly the case for the majority of the workforce in businesses where a daily management system is being deployed. If those employees are being asked to change the way they do things or put in more effort, it can be a challenge to keep them engaged. Especially if they don’t see the value or if they lack leadership or guidance to stay focused. Here are a few tips for keeping your daily goals on track and steering clear of common problems that can derail your efforts.
1. Don’t Neglect Any of the Prongs on Your Three-Pronged Stool
We all know what happens when a three-legged stool loses a leg. The whole thing collapses. We strongly contend that a daily management system or approach must have three prongs in order to succeed. It must:
- Show you how you’re performing,
- Help you determine why you’re performing that way, and
- Help you take action to correct performance problems.
So many times we see organizations that have artifacts of a daily management system in place. Maybe they have some visual management tools, such as a performance board or hour-by-hour board, or a war room for tracking performance metrics and identifying misses. Those tools take some effort to keep up to date, especially if the system is a manual one.
But if the company lacks a way to understand its performance (such as through root cause analysis, a capability that Dploy’s KPI Management offers) or to do anything about it (for example, by implementing action plans or taking countermeasures) the value of the artifacts deteriorates substantially. Companies eventually—and typically sooner rather than later—stop making the effort to use their performance boards or war rooms. And the promise of performance improvements goes unrealized.
The point is, to truly reap the rewards of a daily management system, you need to do more than stay on top of your performance. You need software and business analytics to respond to performance in real-time. Without those essential elements, your system is likely to go unused.
2. Make Your Goals Aggressive but Attainable
A daily management system is an important tool for achieving Annual Operating Plan goals. Essentially, it works by aligning annual business goals to daily goals and giving your team tools for identifying and correcting misses. But hitting those annual business goals shouldn’t be the end of the story. When targets stay static or flat, organizations miss out on the opportunity to drive continuous improvement. By continually elevating targets, and using your daily management process and software to identify and remove roadblocks that stand in the way, your organization can continue to make improvements and not just meet, but exceed goals. In other words, your target line should always curve toward improvement.
3. Make Sure Your Leaders Are Fully Engaged
Implementing a daily management system and software demands an unwavering commitment from your management team. Daily manufacturing performance management cannot be the flavor of the day and leaders must become evangelists for the new way of doing things. The system ultimately depends on workers on the front lines making the effort to identify and capture issues the moment they occur when they occur. For people to keep this up, they need to feel confident that the new system is going to be a lasting change and not just a fad. And that directive needs to flow from the top down. Because if workers do not feel like management cares or that the change will stick, they’re likely to fall back into their old routines.
4. Make Accountability a Good Thing
Among your workforce, there can be resistance to software that can track performance, productivity, and progress toward goals because people don’t want to feel like they are under a microscope. Some will feel uncomfortable knowing that all of their actions will be transparent to management.
Your leaders can help ease this uncertainty by positioning the advantages of the software in the right way. People typically don’t mind working hard, but they do hate wasting their time. When they realize that a daily management process integrated with a software solution is about eliminating roadblocks and that it’s ultimately going to make it easier for them to stay on track and achieve their goals, they become less fearful of accountability. They start viewing the software as a tool for their success, rather than just an oversight device. And they are more likely to get on board, take pride in their enhanced productivity, and eventually feel a sense of ownership in the system and a contributor toward continued progress for the company.
Make Your Transition to Daily Management a Success
Adopting a daily manufacturing performance management system is a significant cultural shift that demands engagement at every organizational level. Emphasizing a three-pronged approach—performance visibility, root cause analysis, and actionable steps—helps companies sidestep common setbacks. Setting ambitious yet realistic goals encourages ongoing improvement, while engaged leadership and a positive view of accountability cultivate a culture where every team member feels invested in the system’s success. This comprehensive strategy not only aligns daily operations with broader objectives but also empowers employees to contribute significantly to the company’s achievements, transforming the challenge of change into a rewarding process.