Industry Trends

How to be an Effective Manufacturing Manager

manufacturing management tips

A whopping 88 percent of employees aren’t passionate about their work – which can make managing an entire team is difficult. Doing that efficiently is even more challenging. It’s about increasing job satisfaction rates while still maintaining production. And it’s a lot easier to talk about it than to attempt any sort of engagement.

But this idea isn’t new to manufacturing managers. Leaders understand the implications of everyday circumstances. They also understand the generalized nature of the job. It’s tough, which is why they chose it.

Here at Apple Rubber, we believe it never hurts to have a reminder of our objectives. We also believe in helping others achieve their management goals. That’s why we put together this piece of tips on how to be an effective manufacturing manager.

Listen to employees.

Often, managerial concern stems from misunderstandings. Or even more simply, ignorance. By increasing your rate of information retained, your business’ rate of production will increase, too. This is about grasping the intimate human side of your workplace.

Your employees are people, just like you. They have fears and hopes. They have concerns and opinions. They’re just waiting for you to hear about them. And if you don’t, they’ll find a business that will. In fact, the U.S. loses $11 billion annually due to employee turnover.

But don’t stop talking. Start actively listening. Pay attention to what your employees talk about. Whether it’s work related or not, their dialogue is important. It says a lot about them. By listening, you’ll be maintaining an understanding of those you are responsible for.

Facilitate employee discourse.

Worldwide, only 13 percent of employees are engaged at work. That’s an issue. Once employees have your attention, you should consider acting on your newfound knowledge. You’ve been listening to their dialogue towards each other. But now it’s time to improve your business’ overall discourse.

By increasing the rate of your employee’s engagement, you’ll begin to notice an increase in relationship building and work production. And if your heart is set on sustainable management, you already understand that those two variables are correlated.

Communication and debate are essential mainstays of the modern workplace. Of course, these two modes of objective achievement have opportune and appropriate times. They shouldn’t happen when anyone is operating heavy machinery or potentially harmful material. But they should be about those instances.

Maintain objective understanding.

When it comes to life in general, it’s important to have an open mind. When managing a manufacturing workplace, that sense of objectivity is even more important. Why? It’s often easy to get caught up in daily operations, to the point where potential reactions could prove dangerous to your business either economically or functionally.

This is especially important when managing across multiple generations. It may seem like common sense, but surprisingly, maintaining this sense of thought is often overlooked. That’s where problems in both satisfaction and production lay.

Modernize through innovation.

As you’re reading this on your smartphone, tablet or personal computer, you acknowledge technological innovation for what it is: a necessary force that improves livelihood. When it comes to managing the livelihood of your business, we recommend reinforcing that understanding. And it’ll make your business more attractive for the upcoming workforce of millennials in manufacturing.

Technology isn’t evil. And it’s definitely not here to steal from us. It’s created as a means to help us all out. It’s important to include relevant and efficient innovations in your managerial style. This sort of behavior discloses that you’re not only up-to-date in current trends, but that you’re committed to long-term growth.

In that way, the introduction of these kinds of innovation signal a sense of modernization that showcases an understanding of you and your business’ trajectory. It also implies a reasonable understanding of your employees lives and a tangible example of a way you’re looking to improve them.

Act with transparency.

Only 40 percent of the workforce knows about their company’s goals, strategies and tactics. This is an issue, since most employees want to be in the loop. It’s an inherent variable of human nature. And if it doesn’t feel like they are, their production could decrease exponentially.

Being transparent in your decision making as a manufacturing manager is important because it sends a message of trust and order. No one appreciates a sense of barrier. Nor does anyone look forward to misdirection or cloudy judgement. When it comes to modern management, being clear resonates.

This tip again focuses on the very human side of management, much less the notion of work. This goes beyond job satisfaction, this touches life satisfaction. To be knowledgeable about one’s workplace is to feel validated. And when someone is validated, their rate of production can only increase.

Do you have any manufacturing management tips?

What management techniques have worked well for your manufacturing facility? What challenges have you had to overcome? We’d like to hear about them. Let us know by tweeting us at @AppleRubber.