15/12/2023
5 Tips to Drive Greater Productivity in the Lab
1. Effective metrics
Most labs have a very wide range of potential metrics. Labs are good at measuring things. It is very important to measure what matters. An effective approach is to build a series of balanced metrics that focus on the important outcomes for the lab. To get greater engagement with the metrics, clearly explain what is being measured, why it is being measured, and how the metrics data will be used.
2. Organizational improvements
Organizational changes can enable lab staff to be more effective in their roles. Lab managers can reduce organizational burdens on lab staff by reducing bureaucracy, removing obstacles, barriers, and irritants. Help people spend more time doing science and less time on ineffective administrative overhead. In addition, lab managers can improve the morale of lab staff by ensuring that people are in the right roles, communicating an effective purpose for the lab, and investing the time and energy required to raise employee engagement.
3. Leadership actions
Adopting a growth mindset that enables learning and development of both individuals and the larger organization is another key action lab managers can take to improve lab productivity. Exhibiting a growth mindset helps the lab face challenges constructively and run effective experiments to improve the working environment
4. Eliminate productivity crashers
Unfortunately, some lab manager actions tend to have a negative effect on lab productivity. These productivity crashers can defeat otherwise healthy approaches to improving the lab’s outputs. Some of the key issues revolve around building the wrong metrics. For example, metrics that are disconnected from the business of the lab can result in effort expended in poor directions, or metrics that can be gamed by lab staff result in perceived progress without actual benefits. Another issue is around communication. Staff can be wary of lab management making measurements if they don’t understand how those measures will be used, which can result in reduced trust and engagement.
5. Implement productivity enhancers
There are relatively straightforward lab manager actions that can enhance lab productivity. These are often ways that the lab manager interacts with individual lab staff, such as demonstrating that you value them and their effort, recognizing success, providing opportunities for autonomy, enabling lab staff to make more decisions, and investing in training and growth.
Credit: Lab Manager
