No matter the industry, underachievers are detrimental to team success. Managers must address lags in productivity as soon as they happen to ensure all parts of the team are effective.

Lionesses are renowned hunters. They capture prey through teamwork where each lioness generally has a specific role in the hunt. If the group does not work together effectively or an individual lioness does not play her part, the prey may escape and it would mean hunger for their pride.

Similarly, manufacturing environments rely on teamwork to create a profitable product and “put food on the table.” A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Center for Naval Analyses and Columbia University concluded that those who work in complex manufacturing environments have the most to gain from problem-solving teams.

The researchers observed 34 production lines in 19 steel minimill companies over five years. The significant gains were seen in complex processes such as improving product quality or solving assembly line problems.

Kathryn Shaw, co-author of the study and the Ernest C. Arbuckle Professor of Economics at Stanford Graduate School of Business, remarked:

You need a group of experts coming together to solve a complex problem. You’re bringing people together because no one person can solve the problem as well as the group.

Traditionally, companies focus on the quality and quantity of goods produced instead of worker interaction. Many are reluctant to pull workers off the floor for meetings, the study says. However, during the five-year study, teams had great impact on the business when tasked to solve complex issues, were given meaningful incentives and knew management listened to them. By the study’s conclusion, the number of mills using problem-solving teams tripled.

Teamwork is integral, not just for manufacturing facilities, but any company. In his Five Steps to Building Accountability, Bob Prosen, author of Kiss Theory Goodbye, outlines how to create an effective team.

First, organizations need to identify three objectives that are clear, concise, measurable and attainable. Second, assign each team member a specific objective and have them identify a maximum of three things they need to accomplish their task. Next up, discuss what support each member needs from the leader and agree upon the responsibilities. Lastly, reward results.

But what happens when one of the cogs isn’t working as well as the others? Research by the Leadership IQ in Washington DC shows that only about 14 percent of senior executives believe their companies deal with poor performers well.

Leadership coach John McKee says that employers don’t deal with underperformers because they simply don’t know how to deal with these issues. Supervisors must recognize that he or she is the best person to deal with the situation because they know the circumstances and the individual, McKee advises.

A lot of issues can affect performance not being up to par. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to find out whether those issues are external (and if so, whether they are long-term or short-term), a misunderstanding of work objectives, a lack of tools or a change in the work environment. Perhaps the quality of work is not checked regularly and poor performance is not spotted until it has deteriorated tremendously.

To help managers keep conditions from going bad to worse, the American Management Association has offered the following 10 rules for managing underachievers:

1) Provide a timeframe for improving quality.
2) Don’t assume the employee knows what is expected of him or her.
3) Identify the aspects of the employee’s performance that are unsatisfactory based on previously discussed objectives.
4) Document the behaviors that substantiate expressed concern about the individual’s job performance.
5) When discussing the problem, focus on the performance and not the worker.
6) Don’t be sarcastic or resentful.
7) Don’t wait until formal performance reviews. Address issues right away.
8) Be supportive when giving out ideas and suggestions for improved performance.
9) Have a collaborative versus accusatory attitude.
10) Ensure continued performance improvement by following up on the employee even after work has improved.

Resources

Teamwork Can Boost Manufacturing Productivity
by Dave Murphy
Stanford Graduate School of Business News, March 2008

Five Steps to Building Accountability
Be Excellent blog

How to Kickstart an Underachiever’s Performance
by John McKee
Tech Republic, June 12, 2008