"Produce More" Isn't a Goal

Cathie Leimbach • November 10, 2026

For the tenth day in a row, production missed its target. 


Barry, the production manager, was frustrated and worried. Customer orders were piling up, inventory was running low, and he had no idea how to get things back on track. Even the VP of Manufacturing and HR had no helpful answers. 


Meanwhile, Joe, one of the line supervisors, couldn't understand why Barry was so upset. He'd heard through the grapevine that sales were down. So why was producing less such a big deal? 


Barry was baffled. He'd told his supervisors to increase production. Why weren't they pushing their teams harder? 


He pulled up the AI summary from Monday's "What's Up This Week" meeting. There it was. He'd asked the supervisors to produce more than last week because a large customer order had to ship the following Monday. 


But had he made his expectations clear? 


Barry thought he'd given a goal. Joe thought he'd heard a suggestion. Neither knew they weren't on the same page. 


Sound familiar? When expectations are fuzzy, even good employees miss the mark. The result: frustrated managers, confused employees, missed targets, and disappointed customers. 


LEADERSHIP TIPS: THREE STEPS TO STRONGER PERFORMANCE 


1. Make expectations crystal clear. 


Explain what needs to be done, by when, and why it matters. Instead of saying "produce more," Barry could have said, "We need 200 additional widgets by Friday to fill a 500-widget customer order that ships Monday." 


Then he could have asked each supervisor what their line could realistically produce and what support they needed. A two-way conversation builds clarity and commitment. 


2. Monitor progress daily. 


Don't wait until Friday to discover the team is behind. Review production results with supervisors every day. Compare actual output with the weekly goal, and recognize progress along the way. 


Ask, "Are we on track? What might keep us from reaching our target?" 


3. Take corrective action before shortfalls grow. 


When production falls behind, don't just demand better results. Start a conversation. 


Ask, "What's getting in the way? How can we catch up? What help do you need from me?" 


Then work out a plan together, agree on who's doing what, and follow up to make sure it happens. 


Strong performance doesn't come from pushing people harder. It comes from clear expectations, regular monitoring, and shared accountability. When leaders explain what matters, listen to their people, and help remove roadblocks, employees are better equipped and more motivated to deliver. 


Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™


Say what matters. Ask what's in the way. Agree on next steps.


Missed targets, fuzzy expectations, or a talk you keep postponing? Bring it to the Workplace Conversations Clinic on November 16. We'll discuss how to have that conversation with kindness and clarity.


Register Here

Be Kind to Your Team AND Hold Them Accountable

By Cathie Leimbach • November 3, 2026
Tammy was furious. For the third day in a row, the hydraulic hose assembly line was falling behind. How could they keep customers happy when production was this slow? The target was 50 hoses per hour, with at least 98% meeting quality standards. Yet, after two hours, Tom's team had produced only 65 hoses, and six had failed inspection. Tammy marched over to Tom, the line supervisor. “This is unacceptable! You know our targets. Get your people moving!” She stormed off, frustrated and worried about falling further behind. Tom felt embarrassed and discouraged. He told his team to work faster. An hour later, production was still behind, and more hoses had failed inspection. Leadership Tip – Correct Kindly, Solve Problems Together Corrective action doesn't need to be harsh. A calm, respectful conversation can improve both performance and trust. Clarify the gap. Remind the employee of the agreed expectation and describe what you've observed. “Tom, our target is 50 hoses per hour, with 98% meeting standards. Your team produced 65 in two hours, and six failed inspection.” Explore causes and solutions together. Ask, “What's getting in the way?” Listen carefully. Perhaps a crimping machine needs adjustment or a new employee needs coaching. Ask, “What could we do differently? How can I help?” Agree on next steps. Ask Tom to summarize what he'll do. State what you'll do to support him. Agree on when you'll review progress. Bottom Line Kindness doesn't mean lowering expectations. It means helping people meet them. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ Be kind. Be clear. Hold people accountable. Have a conversation you’ve been putting off because you don’t want to sound harsh—or let the issue slide? Bring it to the Workplace Conversations Clinic on November 16 to discuss addressing the problem with kindness, setting clear expectations, and agreeing on next steps. Reserve your spot for the November 16 Workplace Conversations Clinic → HERE

Everyone Noticed. No One Said Anything.

By Cathie Leimbach • October 27, 2026
“The same production line’s data is late again,” someone said. “Are we just supposed to keep begging for it?” Maya looked up. Two employees had stopped their own work to help track down the data missing from the weekly report to headquarters. She knew there had been delays. She hadn’t paid attention to how often or what happened when the data came in late. Each Friday, John sent the report out, and Maya moved on. Her team hadn’t moved on. They were tired of disrupting their own work to address the same problem week after week. The Symptom Late work. Repeated mistakes. People asking why they should bother when others don’t do their part. When there is a pattern of leaders letting missed deadlines slide, employees notice. Silence can leave people thinking that missed commitments are acceptable, even when that isn’t what the leader intends. Monitoring performance gives leaders a clearer picture of what is happening—and something specific to discuss with those involved. The Tip Here are three steps to noticing problems and sharing your performance concerns. Track the data. Look at information tied to the work, such as deadlines and errors. Maya could track how often data for the weekly reports arrived late. Walk around. Spend time where the work happens. Notice what people are doing and how one person’s work affects another’s. Maya saw two employees put their work aside to finish someone else’s task. Share what you find. Bring the facts and your observations to the attention of the person involved. Maya could say: “Your weekly production data was submitted late three of the last four weeks. Today, I saw Lee and Sam stop their work to get the raw data and do the analysis.” That makes it clear to the employee that submitting data late is not acceptable. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ Is there a pattern at your workplace that you’ve noticed but haven’t addressed? Join our Workplace Conversations Clinic on November 16 to discuss addressing performance concerns. Bring a situation you’ve been letting slide. Reserve your place HERE