• South Africa

case study

Enhancing Operational Efficiency Through On-the-Floor Coaching

Efficiency at a granular, operational level is often where significant time savings and productivity gains can be unlocked. This case study demonstrates how Credo Growth’s practical coaching methodology, specifically the G.R.O.W. coaching framework, was applied in a real-time manufacturing environment to address inefficiencies in inventory management and build a culture of ownership.

The Challenge

A frontline manufacturing operations team was experiencing inefficiencies in cycle counts, causing repeated manual verifications and operational disruptions. While these seemed like small issues, they were consuming significant time monthly, pulling focus away from higher-value activities, and creating frustration on the floor.

Why the Team Chose Credo Growth

Credo Growth was chosen for its proven track record in embedding coaching as a leadership practice within operational teams. Our approach shifts leaders from directive problem-solving to empowering their teams to generate practical solutions while building accountability and engagement.

Through Credo’s Leaders as Coaches program, leaders learn to use coaching frameworks like G.R.O.W., the Coaching Arc (Listen, Reflect, Question), and real-time situational coaching to address challenges on the floor, in the moment, without slowing down production.

How Credo Growth Ensured Impact

Credo Growth facilitated high-impact, practical coaching interventions with the operations team, using:

  • Practical Training in G.R.O.W. Coaching (Sir John Whitmore): Leaders learned to use targeted questioning to guide team members through defining the Goal, exploring Reality, identifying Options, and committing to a Way Forward.
  • On-the-Floor Coaching Practice: Leaders applied coaching in live operational settings, shifting from directive instructions to asking empowering questions such as, “What would make this easier for you?”
  • Use of the Coaching Arc (Karen Pratt): Leaders practiced Listening, Reflecting, and Questioning to draw out team members’ insights rather than providing immediate solutions.
  • Metaphors and Visuals: Leaders used practical metaphors (e.g., “What’s causing the ship to sink?”) to help coachees reframe challenges.
  • Leadership Style Reflection: Leaders reflected on their current style (directive vs. interactive) and learned when to adapt to a coaching stance to build accountability and ownership.
  • RIG Mindset – Run, Improve, Grow (Ray Attiyah): Leaders identified when they were “firefighting” and used coaching to empower team members to take ownership of improvements.

 

These interventions ensured that coaching became an embedded, everyday leadership behaviour rather than a theoretical exercise.

The Result

During a cycle count in the central stock location, they noticed one of their team members, voicing frustrations about how long the process was taking. Instead of jumping in with a directive, the manager paused, recalled the coaching tools he had just learned, and applied G.R.O.W. in the moment.

With G.R.O.W. (Goal, Reality, Options, Will) as a guide, the manager shifted the conversation from problem-focused to possibility-focused:

  • Goal: They clarified that the coachee’s primary frustration was the time inefficiency in cycle counts.
  • Reality: The coachee described the specific breakdown in the process and how often they had to perform redundant tasks.
  • Options: Instead of suggesting a fix, the manager asked, “What would make this easier for you?” The coachee offered a simple, elegant idea: empower handlers to update the paper-based stock count in real time.
  • Will: Together, they redesigned the inventory document on the spot and socialized it with the handler who manages the skids. They were enthusiastic to adopt the change.

What struck the manager most was how empowered the coachee became when they saw their ideas being implemented. It wasn’t just a process improvement; it was a mindset shift from feeling stuck to feeling heard and resourceful.

As the manager explained:

“Now he can just look at the paper with the new quantity on it and move on.”

Measurable Results

  • 12–16 hours saved per month for the coachee, freeing time for higher-value tasks.
  • 144–192 hours saved annually, equivalent to nearly one month of full-time work.
  • Improved accuracy in stock records and reduced operational disruptions.
  • Increased ownership and morale among handlers involved in the redesign.
  • Sustained coaching culture as leaders continued using on-the-floor coaching for ongoing process improvements.

Conclusion

This case demonstrates the power of practical, real-time coaching to drive process improvements while building a culture of ownership and accountability. By treating frustration as a coaching opportunity, leaders not only improve processes but also develop people, reinforcing a culture where high performance is built in the small moments leaders choose to coach.

Credo Growth continues to support operational teams in embedding coaching into everyday practices because high-performing teams are built through consistent, practical actions.

Implement This In Your Business?
Connect with us

Engaging. Insightful. Transformative. Helene's 'Leaders as Coaches' workshop was absolutely brilliant! It successfully empowered teams to make better decisions independently, giving leaders more time to do what they love.

Marc Gregory Founder, Visual Alchemy