
I enjoy the squawk point and James Lawther’s well-written, plain English to-the-point articles. They make you think! (http://www.squawkpoint.com/2012/05/hold-a-morning-briefing-like-a-tv-star).
I wanted to point out this particular article because the content is worth your time and even though it seems so simplistic an idea, it’s a reality and it’s critical to any team’s success, especially on the warehouse/manufacturing floor. Like a smile in the morning, a little communication at the beginning of the shift sets the tone for the day while ensuring everyone is in sync and with a sense of purpose. Call it whatever you want: a morning huddle, fireside chat, standing meeting, or a tailgate, those five to ten minutes spent at the beginning of the shift are a valuable tool for you to keep the staff informed, current, and involved.
As with everything else in being a leader, be consistent when having your huddle, if you want to do it at the start of every morning/shift, do it, I did and it helped immensely and the topics to cover are endless:
- Remind employees to drink water and stay hydrated on a hot day.
- Give pats on the back to the team for quickly working on an unexpected delivery.
- Thanks for picking a last-minute order.
- Be aware of slick floors on rainy days.
- Review a safety issue that’s been in the news or that you’ve recently observed.
- The facility is expecting visitors like bank auditors or corporate heads to be touring through.
- Communicating open positions in the company.
- Upcoming training sessions to be available
- New customers with proprietary products coming on board.
- Appreciate they’re keeping the facility clean and safe.
This is not a time for negative feedback but good positive items to get them charged for the coming busy day. BE on the floor, communicate, and lead.


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