TEAM LEADER: DAILY ROUTINE

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As the supervisor or front line manager you have to be a team leader who has to make sure, that on a daily basis, your team can deliver results and meet, or even better, exceed the customer’s requirements. The customer is the next process in the manufacturing cycle and not only the end user. Therefore, everyday you must go through a daily routine to ensure that everyone and everything is in place, your team is briefed and fired up for the day’s activities and that outstanding actions get followed up and completed. This is your primary responsibility and you are held accountable for achieving the daily targets (requirements). You must develop the habit of using this daily routine until it becomes a second nature.

However, if you behaves like a cop chances are that when you are not around or do not keep at it all the time, things will backslide again. You should therefore rather behave like a coach to enable and encourage your team to adopt a culture of:

• Cleaning and organizing the work place • Time control and commitment to safety, productivity and quality

The Team Leader’s Daily Routine, detailed as a checklist below, should be used every day at the start of the shift, like the check list an aircraft pilot uses every time before takeoff from the runway!

YOU are the person in charge of your area. However, you have to work for this, as it does not merely come about by appointment; you have to actually take charge! The supervisor is like the sergeant directing the troops in the front-line! If the general has to climb into the trenches to help fight the battle (instead of keeping busy with determining the battle strategy) then why employ a supervisor?

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You also have to help your team. This help should not take the form of being the team’s ‘runner’ or ‘driver’ or ‘messenger’. The company does not need a supervisor for this kind of activity but can employ an inexperienced and cheaper resource to function as a ‘service waiter’! Helping your team means caring and growing your people. Developing the individual competencies and skills of your team members and continuously looking for opportunities to do better in your work area, so as to make the jobs easier and thereby improving the safety, productivity and quality.

Cleaning and Organizing is the foundation for success in all other areas of safety, quality and productivity improvement. Unless you work in a clean and organized manner, you will never be able to compete with the world’s best. Although all the actions required for improvement in this area are straight forward, they require a very disciplined supervisor to, on a daily basis, work with the team to maintain cleaner and better organized workplaces and prevent backsliding. If you walk past an unacceptable work place without instructing your team member to rectify the situation, you are just as guilty of not doing your job, because you are giving your team member an (valid) excuse to operate a dirty and disorganized workplace. Also, remember that you have to follow up all your instructions. “I have told . . . . . “ does not release you from your responsibilities in your work area - it’s merely passing the buck.

Time Control and Commitment is also a critical area and one of the hardest to implement, because it deals with attitudes and behaviors. If you and your team can’t get the discipline of time control right, it is doubtful whether you will manage to adhere to any of the other procedures and requirements put in place to ensure that work gets done right the first time and efficiently.

One critical element of helping your team is a ‘morning meeting’ or half time talk. Like in a soccer game, ‘half time’ should be taken to review the previous days performance and decide on the actions and strategies for today. Although this is not a standard practice in most companies, it should be worked towards by earning the right to take time out. What this means is that you as supervisors, collectively, must show initiative and some measurable up front results in performance improvement (output, quality, good house keeping, etc.) before you can expect a leap of faith from senior management. It’s a tough call, but you have to establish credibility first. There should be nothing stopping you from ensuring your team starts on time, works for the full time and does not leave before time.

On the back of your checklist are some guidelines, listed below, of how to build teamwork and earn the respect, trust and commitment of your people. Your behavior and your leadership will make the difference of whether your ‘troop’ is following you into battle or whether you are herding a flock of sheep towards your goal. As the team leader people look up to you for direction and guidance.

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In the final analysis there is no valid excuse, because the choice is yours, irrespective of the environment and the work culture. There are numerous examples in a wide variety of spheres where people, despite of all the odds have succeeded, because they choose to!

Ubukhetha eyakho

1. Umuntu ngumuntu ngabanye abantu

2. I am responsible for my area & target

3. Today Not Tomorrow

4. How can I help?

5. Catch someone doing it right - compliment the cook

6. Einspruchsrecht & Empowerment

7. I am a coach, not a police man

8. Take care of your team, because they deliver results