A shift that runs well usually started well before the first load moved. It helps to think of a shift in three parts: the start, the middle and the close.
Before the shift: get ready
Arrive a little early. Before the team comes in, look at three things: the work list for the day, who is actually at work, and anything that changed since yesterday, such as a late delivery, a broken forklift or a vehicle that is off the road.
Then compare the work with the people. If the work is bigger than the team, you want to know now, and you want your manager to know now.
Example numbers only. Your list has 40 pallets to load before 14:00. Four people can usually load about 10 pallets an hour between them, so 40 pallets take 4 hours. Starting at 08:00, you finish at 12:00. Now two people are absent. The two who are left load about 5 pallets an hour, so 40 pallets take 8 hours and you finish at 16:00, two hours late. You know this at 08:00, so you can ask for help or warn the customer while there is still time.
Then hold a short huddle with the team, standing up, for about five minutes. Say what must be finished, what comes first, who is doing what, and anything unusual today. Ask if anyone has a problem that stops them starting. Keep it short. A huddle that turns into a long meeting is one nobody wants to attend.
During the shift: walk the floor
Do not sit in the office. Walk your area at set times, for example once an hour, and look at three things: is the work moving, is it done properly, and is everyone safe? Walking also lets people ask you things quietly.
Fix small things at once. A skipped step or a blocked aisle takes two minutes to fix today. Left alone, it becomes the way things are done. If you see something that could badly hurt someone, stop the job straight away and follow your company's safety rules.
Keep a few notes as you go, on paper or on your phone: what went wrong, what you changed, and what you promised people. You will need them for your report.
When the plan breaks
Things go wrong on every shift. Staff are absent, a truck is late, the power goes off. When it happens:
- Decide what matters most for the rest of the day.
- Tell the team the new plan in plain words.
- Tell your manager early if a deadline is at risk.
A manager who hears at 10:00 can help. A manager who hears at 16:00 can only apologise to the customer.
Close the shift
Before people leave, check what was finished and what was not. Make sure equipment is parked and tidy, and that the next shift knows what you are leaving for them. Then write your report. Lesson 4 shows a simple way to do it.
- Check the work list, who is at work and what changed, before the team arrives.
- Hold a short standing huddle: priorities, who does what, anything unusual.
- Walk the floor at set times and fix small things at once.
- When the plan breaks, decide, tell the team, and tell your manager early.
- Close the shift: check what got done, hand over, write the report.