Thank you again, for another thought provoking topic. An interesting point was the overstaffed organizations face a higher than normal turnover rate.
Could the higher turnover rate for both the over and leaner staffed organizations be based upon the lack of a culture of relationship building at all levels of leadership? If too many people aren't engaged enough, and too few people are disengaging due to feeling overworked, and both groups are leaving or worse, "quietly quitting." It seems to me, leadership (not management) should stop and look inward, and begin to ask the hard questions and implement the hard answers, in order to adjust the course of the "ship." As a whole, I don't think we are willing to do that, because it would have to take humility, on the part of all parties.
Hi Steve. Anecdotally... if there isn't a specific role for me to fill on a team, whether it's a volunteer weekend team or a work project, I have the tendency to distance myself because I want meaningful work. That can happen on both overstaffed and understaffed teams if they aren't lead well, sure, but it still should be looked at if the propensity is higher on an overstaffed team.
The best kind of leaders do have these conversations, right?
Great discussion to have periodically even if there doesn't seem to be any ill-effects being registered. Does your organization currently tend toward being under-staffed or over-staffed?
I believe that you cannot make a direct correlation between number of staff and getting a job done well. Everything hinges on the people you have and how you manage and treat them. I understand that there is a connection between leaner organizations and productivity, and I would submit that it is because dead wood has been weeded out to get to the best employees to do the job.
Re: Research confirms that lean teams and organizations have more focus, get more done, aggressively eliminate waste, streamline processes, and produce higher-quality work.
I wonder how many of the lean (i.e., understaffed) companies also practice Lean (i.e., Lean Six Sigma).
Re: Number of direct reports - This is just my opinion, but I think the number can be up to 10 if they are all doing the same job and it isn't too complex. However, the more complex and differentiated jobs get, I think that number is lower. I like what Admired Leadership has recommended in how much time can you spend each week holding 1:1s with your direct reports.
I'd guess most organizations who practice Lean Six Sigma needed to be overstaffed at some point in their history to give them the capacity to learn and adopt the methodology.
Perhaps, but Lean Six Sigma is much broader than that. Here's a link that provides quick overview of the philosophy of Lean: https://theleanway.net/muda-mura-muri
Thank you again, for another thought provoking topic. An interesting point was the overstaffed organizations face a higher than normal turnover rate.
Could the higher turnover rate for both the over and leaner staffed organizations be based upon the lack of a culture of relationship building at all levels of leadership? If too many people aren't engaged enough, and too few people are disengaging due to feeling overworked, and both groups are leaving or worse, "quietly quitting." It seems to me, leadership (not management) should stop and look inward, and begin to ask the hard questions and implement the hard answers, in order to adjust the course of the "ship." As a whole, I don't think we are willing to do that, because it would have to take humility, on the part of all parties.
Thanks again and be safe.
Hi Steve. Anecdotally... if there isn't a specific role for me to fill on a team, whether it's a volunteer weekend team or a work project, I have the tendency to distance myself because I want meaningful work. That can happen on both overstaffed and understaffed teams if they aren't lead well, sure, but it still should be looked at if the propensity is higher on an overstaffed team.
The best kind of leaders do have these conversations, right?
Absolutely. The "Why" we do what we do, and "Why" each team member is important has to be communicated, or we feel less or undervalued.
Great discussion to have periodically even if there doesn't seem to be any ill-effects being registered. Does your organization currently tend toward being under-staffed or over-staffed?
I believe that you cannot make a direct correlation between number of staff and getting a job done well. Everything hinges on the people you have and how you manage and treat them. I understand that there is a connection between leaner organizations and productivity, and I would submit that it is because dead wood has been weeded out to get to the best employees to do the job.
Morning, Bob. How many direct reports should any leader have?
The number you choose...what is that based on?
Re: Research confirms that lean teams and organizations have more focus, get more done, aggressively eliminate waste, streamline processes, and produce higher-quality work.
I wonder how many of the lean (i.e., understaffed) companies also practice Lean (i.e., Lean Six Sigma).
Re: Number of direct reports - This is just my opinion, but I think the number can be up to 10 if they are all doing the same job and it isn't too complex. However, the more complex and differentiated jobs get, I think that number is lower. I like what Admired Leadership has recommended in how much time can you spend each week holding 1:1s with your direct reports.
I'd guess most organizations who practice Lean Six Sigma needed to be overstaffed at some point in their history to give them the capacity to learn and adopt the methodology.
Perhaps, but Lean Six Sigma is much broader than that. Here's a link that provides quick overview of the philosophy of Lean: https://theleanway.net/muda-mura-muri