South Coast: Productivity is subject of key report by Fedden USP

Gosport-based Lean business specialist Fedden USP has commissioned a report entitled Productive Nation? which looks at how leading organisations define productivity – a key area of focus for many businesses in 2017. 

Chewton Glen, the five-star luxury country house hotel located at New Milton, Hampshire, made a valuable contribution to the report. Managing director Andrew Stembridge believes that the key to increasing productivity for the hotel is to convince managers that they can achieve productivity gains even though they have limited time in their already busy schedules. 

Stembridge acknowledges that the demands on managers in the hotel industry have increased in recent years, so a restaurant manager for example, no longer just focuses on making sure customers are being looked after, he now has to deal with health and safety matters and follow HR procedures as well.

Stembridge commented: “A good starting point which will enable managers to understand the need to focus on productivity is to involve them at the start in the budgeting process. Achieving productivity is not just scientific but cultural.”

Efficiency is also clearly linked to productivity, but Stembridge is well aware that some of the services of a luxury hotel are inefficient, however they must be provided for the hotel to maintain its five-star status. For example, providing 24-hour room service is a very inefficient deployment of resources, but must be provided for the Chewton Glen to keep its rating.

Stembridge believes that by focusing on certain key areas will help to make staff more productive. Flexible working hours to help staff achieve a healthy work/life balance is one area and empowering staff to make decisions that will improve the customer experience is another; a spilt glass of wine shouldn’t need a manager’s authorisation to replace it free of charge.

Stembridge added: “Wellness in the workplace will also make a difference to productivity. If your people are fit, wired and alert they are going to deliver more.”

Chewton Glen encourages its people to deliver by allowing managers to present gold duck awards instantaneously and when someone achieves three gold ducks, they receive John Lewis vouchers, champagne and a gold duck lapel badge. “It’s an approach which is more engaging with the new generation who want things to be more instant,” commented Stembridge, “and it does have a positive impact on productivity.”