We’ve seen this movie before. You’ve got a press or bindery operator who can fix any mechanical or technical issue in seconds. They’re the ones who save the jobs that go sideways. But here’s the question that needs to be asked: what if keeping them on the production floor is actually holding your company back?
We’re all guilty of it. We find someone really good at their job and think, “why mess with a good thing?” Here’s what gets overlooked until it’s too late: they keep strong performers in roles that no longer fit them, their potential, or your business strategy. This creates a negative effect that touches everything from the pace of innovation to your bottom line.
Innovation Freezes
When your star pre-press technician should be developing your next workflow automation sequence but instead spends all day fixing the same color correction and file issues over and over, you’re underutilizing talent. Strong performers, stuck in the wrong roles become so focused on their day-to-day activities that they don’t have the bandwidth to drive the changes that could have a positive impact on your operation. Right people in the wrong seats.
Team Moral Takes a Dive
Here’s another key element that most of us miss when your top employees sense they are outgrowing their roles, everyone around them feels it too. Your production team watches that natural leader, stuck running the same jobs day after day, month after month. Your customer service team sees a strategic thinker limited to writing up tickets in order entry. The message? Growth isn’t possible here. Soon you’re not just risking losing that one person, you’re creating a culture where the ambitious employees start looking elsewhere.
The Opportunity Cost
Every day that All-Star estimator stays an estimating when they really should be leading your client facing team, you’re losing potential revenue. Every shift that QC expert spends catching errors instead of training others on how to prevent them, you’re multiplying the inefficiencies in your operation. Face it, this business moves fast and those who better align their talent with their business needs will simply outpace you. Right people right seats.
The Fast Burnout
Strong performers are strong because they care about what they do–they own the work. Put them in a role that doesn’t utilize their full potential, and that passion turns to frustration and they start phoning it in. They’ll keep performing OK, but at what cost? You’ll see increased sick days, decrease enthusiasm, more chatter, and eventually a resignation letter you never saw coming.
OK, now for the Good News
The good news is you can start with recognition. Take a critical look at your organizational chart. Are your best people positioned to drive your business forward, or are they just really good at maintaining the status quo and working hard at becoming complacent? Sometimes the bravest thing you can do as a leader is to move your star player to a position where they, and your company, can truly excel.
After all, keeping great people is important. Keeping them in the right roles, well that’s what separates thriving printing companies from those just trying to survive.
Mike Philie helps owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry validate what’s working, identify what needs to change, and create a practical path forward.
PhilieGroup | mphilie@philiegroup.com | LinkedIn
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