Having a structured, predictable and systematic work process is part of a good quality management system. Good processes help in minimizing employee errors. A good employee in a bad environment will make mistakes.
Quality management tools should be used to clarify and map out work processes to maximize performance. It’s exasperating when your skilled employees make dumb mistakes. Here are 3 tips to minimize employee errors.
1. Create the Right Environment
Part of fine-tuning a process is ensuring that the environment in which your employees work is safe. The environment should be free from distractions. In addition, paying attention to the physical elements of the environment has a major impact on the focus and goal attainment of your employees. Things to consider in the environment include:
Temperature
Ensure that the temperature of the environment is suitable for work. You can install a well functioning and properly zoned HVAC system, or encourage your employees to wear layers to prevent temperature issues. You should consider the temperature because it can affect the performance of your employees.
Work Place
Pay attention to the works pace of your employees. Look at the ergonomics of their desks, and pay attention to their computer screens and positions of their keyboards. Do your employees spend a lot of time on the phone? If so, are headsets available? Is the space sufficient for the movement of their chairs? Though being economical with office real-estate is important, there needs to be a balance.
2. Explain the Consequences
Explain why you need no mistake in your business. Describe in detail the ripple effect an error can cause. For instance, add up the value of handling avoidable mistakes, or value of losing just one unsatisfied client. Even a misplaced comma or decimal point can cost your business a lot of money. In addition, remind your team members how how mistakes can negatively affect their professions, from damaging their professional reputations to losing their monthly performance bonuses.
3. Find the Real Cause of the Mistake
Toyota made a well-known method of identifying the sources of mistakes by asking the question “Why?” 5 times. These 5 whys reveal that fixing an immediate cause of a problem doesn’t resolve the underlying problem. For instance, when a clerk enters the wrong data, the result could be a bigger issue. Ensure that you address the root source of the problems, not the symptoms.
In summary, you shouldn’t avoid the errors of your employees. Though businesses that don’t make mistakes don’t take risks and try new things, you should try to eliminate avoidable mistakes by ensuring that the procedures are accurate. This will give you the opportunity of making errors that lead to innovations. You can also hire a counselor to teach them how to manage stress issues.
