Maintaining A Productive Staff

Every good business owner or successful supervisor works hard at giving their staff the encouragement they need for them to be productive.  This creates the right environment needed to support strong individual contributions and full team participation alike. Employees are then able to provide the best in service for clients.
That having been said, a conscientious manager is one who is also aware of the fact that employees fall into varying categories, each needing to be managed and held accountable to high standards. When individuals are not held to the same high standards as their colleagues, team morale is destroyed and productivity is weakened.
In his article ‘Getting The Best From Your Staff’, Ian Ferguson, contributor to the Bahamas Tribune lists the categories that employees fall into as being,

• The Highly Motivated and Competent Employee
• The Highly Competent and Discouraged Employee
• The Hard Working and Dedicated, Yet Low Skilled Employee and
• The Low Skilled, Low Productivity Employee.

The Highly Competent and Motivated Employee
These individuals are seen as being the prized jewel within any organisations crown. They give 100% effort, are self-starters and have a lot to offer. They enjoy their work and so they give their all when trying to achieve company objectives.
Even though this category of employee contains highly competent individuals, they should still be given the opportunity to grow through new assignments, expanded roles and positive reinforcement.
The Highly Competent but Discouraged Employee
The highest number of employees fall within this category. These individuals have a lot to offer, but their attitude towards work has become jaded. This has resulted in their resolve being to do the bare minimum.
There are many reasons why an employee might find themselves within this category. From disillusionment to boredom, the cases vary. Regardless of the reason, these employees must be identified and communicated with. Quick action can result in them becoming some of the most valued assets to a company. Strides must be taken by those in charge to re-engage them within meaningful tasks, with their efforts being applauded along the way.
The Hard Working yet Low Skilled Employee
Many leaders make the mistake of confusing hard work, commitment and dedication with efficiency and competence. Some would actually argue that it is so rare to find people with good work ethic these days that once found these employees should simply be rewarded for their efforts. This is not always the best approach. A hard working dedicated employee who is low skilled should be encouraged continuously to improve on their competency. An individual such as this is indeed a credit to any organisation, but imagine how productive a worker they would be within the company if they were fully trained within their role. These employees must be inspired to engage in talent development initiatives and supported along the way. This will bring about a proficient and well-rounded employee.
The Low Skilled, Low Productivity Employee
There will always come a point in time when a business owner or supervisor will find this individual under their directive. It often baffles onlookers as to how these employees have been allowed to continue within their role without reprisal. The fact is that their lack of productivity is noted, yet many in a leadership role believe that it is only fair to give them the chance to improve on their performance. Opportunities given are seldom ever taken however.
Ferguson states’
‘Companies must make the sometimes difficult yet necessary decision to release such employees, once every effort has been made to build capacity and provide training and learning opportunities for them.’
Keeping this type of employee on as part of any working team often leads to a drop in morale amongst other more productive and committed members of staff. It would be wrong to ever let this happen.
Differing personalities make up the staff of any given company or organisation. Each has within them their own level of dedication to the organisation and as such they each deliver a varied level of service. By knowing the staff that work alongside them on a day to day basis, their personalities and their skills, a good manager is able to motivate each individual in the right way. This in turn bringing about a high level of productivity from all in employ.