Employee Performance - Why Good Systems Matter More Than Pop Psychology

If the Systems Are Poor The Indiana Lemon Laws Will Fail

That's what I've learned. It's expressed accident compensation claim other ways too. "Poor systems, poorer people". "Fix the systems before the people" "There are few poor people but lots of poor systems".

You may be a manager who prefers to discuss things with employees. You may prefer counseling or even issuing formal warnings. Some industrial relations laws require that approach. These approaches can be useful. But I repeat what I've learned. When performance falters, look at your systems before your people.

If your people are performing poorly, purchase auto insurance have a systems problem somewhere. If you train, counsel or even replace your people without fixing your systems, your people problems will continue.

What's A System

A system is simple. It's "the way we do things around here". Your systems may be extraordinarily complex and sophisticated. They may be completely ad hoc with nothing in writing.

If Buckaroo Banzai how you do things, that's your system. If that system, brilliant or banal, doesn't support your people to do their jobs competently, the system, or part of it has failed.

Systems Problems Can Be Anywhere

Just because the staff in the warehouse are underperforming, doesn't mean that your warehouse systems are faulty. The system problem could be:

- recruiting the wrong people

- liaison between warehousing and purchasing

- administrative procedures that inhibit performance

- poor storage facilities

- poor training

In other words, it could be anywhere. But I'll guarantee there is a system problem. In this case, it could be something as simple as poor form design.

Simple Solutions

You'll often find that the solution to your systems problem is relatively simple. It could be form redesign, paper flow adjustment or work sequence change.

I once saw a serious bottleneck fixed by changing how the spot orders were placed on a desk. The solution was absolutely simple. No one had realized the exact nature of the problem

Staff themselves often know the answer. Ask them.

Conclusion

You may have some lazy, incompetent and difficult people in your workplace.

But the reason for their behavior may consolidate stafford loans with the systems you require them to operate with.

Replacing and retraining people is very costly. Try improving the systems before replacing or retraining the people.

Leon Noone invites you to contact him on www.leonnoone.comwww.leonnoone.com where you can collect your free copy of his 42 page Special Report: "5 Proven Methods For Improving Employee Performance On The Job". He's published books on staff selection and team development as well as various video, text/audio and self instruction programs on staff selection, staff training and staff motivation.