Ecmweb 8761 Thinkstockphotos 518227594
Ecmweb 8761 Thinkstockphotos 518227594
Ecmweb 8761 Thinkstockphotos 518227594
Ecmweb 8761 Thinkstockphotos 518227594
Ecmweb 8761 Thinkstockphotos 518227594

Tip of the Week: Are Your People Sloppy?

Jan. 9, 2017
A focus on the quality of the work completed instead of how quickly it is done will pay off with greater customer satisfaction.

If someone asked you whether your people do sloppy work, how would you know the correct answer? A question statisticians ask is, “Compared to what?” And that is the question you must ask.

SteveAllenPhoto/iStock/Thinkstock

If your company culture is inclined toward pushing the work out instead of doing it methodically, your standards probably are not very high. That’s because that type of culture results in work that you either have to accept or do over. And if you’re fixated on pushing the work out, you’re almost never going to do it over “just because it’s a little sloppy” — unless, of course, your dissatisfied customer insists on it.

At first blush, an electrician who quickly bangs out the work appears to be more productive than the one who performs work methodically. But if the methodology is based on written procedures, outstanding craftsmanship, intelligent workflow, and solid training, that second electrician is by far the more productive of the two.

The key is you can’t limit your analysis (and thus conclusions) to a small sample of work time. Spending an hour watching one guy race through the work while the other takes the time to do it right will only mislead you.

Instead, look at the bigger picture. See if you can pick which one of these electricians is going to produce the following results:

• Almost no time spent redoing anything to fix mistakes (cost savings).

• Nearly zero callback rate (cost savings).

• Very low risk of blowing anything up (cost savings).

• Customer looks at the finished work and is impressed; customer gives you more work (revenue enhancement).

• Competitor looks at the finished work and feels outclassed (bragging rights, and hey, aren’t those worth having too?).

• The personal pride shows, along with a much higher degree of employee satisfaction and dedication to the job.

• Your finished work advertises just how professional your company is.

So, are your people methodical enough? If not, what are you doing about it? Think of how you can change the tone by example, through training, and in your communication.

What specific actions can you take to ensure thatthe methodical approach is everyone’s approach? If you haven’t looked at your work procedures lately, start there.

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.

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