Page 20 - Logistics News - July August 2023

BU SINE S S S T R A T E GIE S

Shifting focus from tracking productivity

to delivering value to clients

By Mike Freislich, leading Coach and Trainer from We Do Change

Rather than tracking people and their productive time, businesses should
understand the collective effectiveness of people and thus prioritise delivering
enhanced value to customers.

usinesses today are too preoccupied with measuring 3. Thirdly, focusing on delivering value to customers
workplace productivity by managing people’s time indirectly benefits employees. Engaging employees in
Band evaluating their performance. However, this understanding the value of their work to customers leads
fixation often detracts from understanding customer needs to higher motivation levels, reduced staff turnover rates,
and delivering quality outcomes. Rather than tracking increased productivity, better product quality and a stronger
people and their productive time, I encourage businesses to commitment to the business.
understand the collective effectiveness of people and thus
prioritise delivering enhanced value to customers. Research has shown that businesses make common
mistakes when managing people and their perceived
In today’s competitive marketplace, this strategic productivity levels. One such mistake is overemphasising the
approach fosters sustained business growth and customer quantity of output over quality, which often results in rushed
satisfaction. Redirecting organisational focus toward work and compromised solutions. Prioritising quantity over
valued outcomes is crucial for three main reasons: quality can lead to dissatisfied customers and tarnishes a
business’s long-term reputation.
1. Firstly, providing value to customers is paramount in
satisfying their needs, fostering customer loyalty and Micromanagement is another pitfall that stifles creativity
driving repeat purchases. When customers perceive and innovation, particularly in knowledge work. When
value in a product or service, they are more likely to employees feel constantly watched and scrutinised, their
become returning customers and recommend the motivation dwindles and they are less likely to take risks or
business to others, and this can lead to an increase in generate new ideas. Empowering employees with ownership
sales and positive word-of-mouth marketing. and autonomy is crucial for fostering a collaborative culture
that drives innovation.
2. Secondly, differentiation and establishing a market
edge within a crowded marketplace is crucial for Six simple ways to shift your organisational
businesses to stand out from their competitors. By focus
offering more value to customers, businesses gain a 1. Question the validity of work
competitive advantage, attracting a larger market share We must be selective over what work is finished next.
and increased profitability. Customers tend to choose Questioning the validity of work at all levels (programme, project,
businesses that offer better value, making it a key factor epic, feature, task) with a preference for the larger work requests
in influencing their purchasing decisions. can help to expose suboptimal decisions around value.

18 JULY/A U GU S T 2023 www .l o g ist i csn e w s .c o .z a