We expect modern managers to be numerate and analytical. We educate and train them to be so. Yet when we look at entrepreneurs we see something else.  We see creativity and passion. Which of these are the best qualities to have? Of course, I have given you a false dilemma. The answer is that really successful

I read a comment the other day suggesting that increased private investment in (private) education would improve its productivity. I think this is debatable. As in many other areas, it depends on how you define and measure productivity. We all know that productivity is quite different than production or output: fundamentally it involves the incorporation of

Toyota has had its fair share of problems recently - and has certainly been knocked off the plinth it has been on for some time... held up as a beacon of efficiency and productivity, So, what does this do for the reputation of the Toyota production system - must we now all try to forget

You will have often heard a phrase like ... Success is a marathon, not a sprint ... indicating that the activity in hand must be addressed with focus and concentration over the longer- term. Well, Productivity is certainly a marathon. You need a good start, then a keen ongoing focus and finally a strong finish.

Many organisations make some attempt to treat employees well - with recognition and reward systems, flexible approaches to leave, healthcare and so on.  The trouble with such 'benefits' is that they quickly get absorbed into 'the expected' rather than being regarded as an 'extra'. If you want something to have a longer-term effect on employee

Certainly in the UK, drones have had a bad press recently - with the disruption caused at London's Gatwick airport. However, the sensible ones among us (and I do - perhaps rather arrogantly - include myself in that category) know that throughout history, technologies have been used for good and bad purposes. Drones are also

My father, who unfortunately died early at the age of only 54, was, like me, a technophile. I often say on seeing or using some new piece of technology .. “My dad would have been amazed by this”. Of course it’s not only technology that has changed since he was around. The would is a

The top one per cent of UK firms grew on average by eight per cent each year between 2004 and 2014, while the lower 99 per cent experienced annual productivity growth of less than one per cent over the same period. This is the long tail of UK business productivity which has to be shortened

We are all under pressure to multitask - to deal with emails, messages and reminders whilst also doing our 'real job' Even when not under this avalanche of inputs, many of us choose to listen to music as we work. We eat lunch at our desks as we work. Students update their facebook pages (and

On a recent business class flight, the guy next to me got out his laptop and worked on if for most of the flight. I ate the meal,  a drink, snoozed a little and did a crossword. Who was the most productive? Well of course, he would claim he was. He got some work done.