People often claim that technology is the key to improved productivity. Firms should, they say, be investing in digital services, robotics, AI, IoT and so on. Generally, there does seem to be a correlation between investment in technology and productivity improvement. Case proved, then? Well … not necessarily. I learned many years ago that
Many people feel overwhelmed at work. The relentless tide of messages and emails seems to set an impossible agenda. So, we need to improve our time management, right? Wrong! If tou create more space by better organisation, ‘other stuff’ will be re-prioritised and re-arranged and you’ll soon be overwhelmed again.If you show your boss you
For some people, art plays an important part in their lives. I’m not talking about ‘the arts’ - if I was, that first statement would probable apply to just about everybody - but to the visual arts. What about art in business? Well, art can obviously transform a working environment but it can also stimulate,
One of the keys to high productivity is to organise - and then to schedule - work according to its priority and urgency. Too often, though, this potential productivity gets sidelined as other facto come into play - meetings get scheduled and key personnel get jacked out of operational processing. Now, a new approach is helping restore
What separates the very best musicians from the also-rans is the long-term commitment to the goal, and to the practice required to achieve it. Hours, days, weeks and years of relentless practice drive up performance, improvs timing and rhythm and change the person from someone who plays an instrument into a musician. They become flexible, resilient, agile
When trying to improve productivity, many people start by looking at inputs - trying to reduce costs by saving materials, energy or manpower. There is nothing wrong with such an approach except that it is an incremental approach. Your are unlikely to save more than 10-15% of costs so productivity can only rise by that
If your organisation expects you to be ‘always on’, always working, always available by telephone or email, they are exhibiting signs of ‘toxic productivity’. I hate that term for all sorts of reasons but mainly because it has nothing to do with productivity. People who work 24 x 7 (or think they do) are unlikely
When the pandemic hit and the world went into ‘lockdown’, most companies moved into remote working, using technology to support employees working from home. There were all sorts of claims that productivity improved as a result. I’m afraid that I was churlish enough to cast doubt on these claims (in this blog) suggesting that the
If you start your online meetings by simply asking a question such as..”You’ve all seen the plan. Any comments?”, your team members will probably look away from their cameras down at their desks (or kitchen tables.). The energy drains from the meeting before it has really started. Team members do not know what is being asked
Measuring performance is essential for a number of reasons. Firstly, as the adage goes … if you can measure it, you can manage it.How do you predict job times if you don’t know the performance level at which your equipment and your people will work. Secondly, if you don’t know performance levels, ho do you