Impressions - April 2023 - 43

day of the week. Then, when an order gets
delayed, time is spent moving the boxes
from one area to another. A better solution
is to segregate by the last digit of the work
order. Regardless of the day you run the job,
anything ending with a " 3 " can be found
in the three-area. No more moving boxes!
Another possibility is to record the work
being performed in a particular department.
Filming it with a simple cell phone
will suffice. When you're done, review the
action and look for wasted motion or any
other activities that can be better performed.
Tips for Being More Effective
Anyone can learn to be more effective. It is
mostly common sense, with some practical
magic thrown in for good measure.
1. Simplify: It's tough to be effective if
you are constantly multitasking. Instead of
doing three or four things at once, focus on
only one. Effectiveness is built by ensuring
that your effort is correct, complete and
well-executed. That isn't easy to achieve
when simultaneously juggling multiple
ideas. Try blocking out chunks of time to
work on strategic initiatives, designing or
planning.
2. Less is More: Consider the work
you are doing. Is it really necessary? Can
the work be better achieved with improved
technology, consumables, equipment or
workflow? Stop doing things that don't
produce the results you want. You can always
make another dollar. You can't make
another minute. This is why automation
can play such a major role in effectiveness.
In addition, never forget it sometimes pays
to say no to orders that don't provide the
right profit level or are beyond your skill
level. Focus on the profitable work that
you are great at delivering.
3. Get Organized: Experts say preparation
determines outcomes. Are you proactively
scheduling the work and activities?
Start prioritizing the work. What is the first
thing to be completed? The second? The
third? Keep going. Prepare by pulling anything
and everything needed and staging it
well before actually beginning the task. A
lot of downtime is spent looking for things.
Get everything settled and out of the way
before the actual work starts.
4. Eliminate Bad Habits: What gets
in the way of getting more accomplished?
Observe your staff working. To be more
effective, examine how and when your team
begins and ends its day. What happens before
and after breaks? Who is walking around
like a zombie? How is cell phone usage
affecting productivity? How many minutes
a day is your press not turning because your
printer is looking for the right song on a
playlist?
5. Know Your Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs): Everything should
have a number. How long does something
take to accomplish? How many can you
produce in an hour or shift? Measure your
team's output. Are their averages good or
bad? What do you need to do to improve it?
If you measure what is important, you can
comprehend whether your " improvement "
efforts are actually paying off.
6. Build a Schedule and Stick to It:
Do you have a work schedule? This isn't
just for production, but for sales, purchasing,
receiving and any other department in your
building. When should they start? What
comes next? How is the work organized?
In this industry, everyone has another department
downstream from them. What
does success or failure look like? You want
clarity in all actions and activities. These
should turn into habits.
7. What Is Most Important? Each staff
member needs to know the most important
thing about their job. Yes, I know, it sounds
obvious, but just try watching your crew
sometime. You'll likely see they are often
busy doing many things...except what's
most important. The rule should always be
that the most important things get done
first. Test your staff. Ask them, " What is the
most important thing you are doing today? "
and see what they say.
8. Observe: In every facet of your business,
take a few moments to sit back and
observe. Watch your staff working. Where
are they struggling? As a leader, if you want
your team to be more effective, you need
to spend time observing. Ask your crew
about anything you see that doesn't make
sense. They may already agree whatever it is
they're already doing could be done better.
Help them resolve whatever challenges they
may be facing.
9. Eliminate Downtime: You only
make money if you're decorating garments.
Whenever your equipment is not decorating,
it's called downtime. Your goal is to eliminate
downtime as much as possible. How can
you get the last job complete and the next
one up and running more quickly? Being
prepared for the next order is a great place
to start.
10. Active Listening: What is the communication
like in your shop? Is your crew
looking to understand the situations it finds
itself? Your team(s) need to cooperate. They
need to work as a team. Clearly defined
goals and work methods will help eliminate
rework and wasted time. Getting things
right the first time should be the goal. If
that doesn't happen, find out what went
wrong so you can prevent it from happening
again.
Effectiveness On the Job
Being effective means using time to your
advantage. Tasks are prioritized. Everything
that is needed is organized and ready. Critical
work is scheduled and completed first
before moving on to the next item on your
to-do list.
Be clear as to what needs to be accomplished
and when. Your team should feel safe
asking for help or posing questions. Great
things can happen if your crew works on
its own effectiveness. Does everyone understand
what needs to happen? Are they
armed with the essential tools, training,
equipment and willingness to do their best?
Great things can happen when your crew
is effective. 
Have everything together before
each production run; this shop could
probably be doing things a bit better.
Marshall Atkinson, owner of Atkinson Consulting
LLC, is a decorated-apparel industry production
and efficiency expert who focuses on operational
efficiency; continuous improvement and workflow
strategy; business planning; employee motivation;
management; and sustainability. He also co-founded
a decorated-apparel industry sales and marketing
education company called Shirt Lab. For more information
or to comment on this article, email Marshall
at marshall@marshallatkinson.com.
April 2023
P.43
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