I have worked extensively in other countries than my own (UK). I have learned many valuable lessons - but perhaps the most important is that local solutions (to productivity problems) MUST be informed by local factors, local priorities, local policies. Take agricultural productivity as an example. Generally agricultural productivity (in terms of yield per acre) is much lower than
A lot of people spend a lot of time fixing problems. Of course, you have to do something about a problem that has occurred - especially if it's one affecting our customers. Burt the real key to problem-solving is to identify the root cause of the problem and sort that out. This prevents the problem
I have the advantage and disadvantage of being old. I remember what I think were 'better times' (but all old people in most historic eras have felt the same. When I first worked in industry, unions were strong and fought well for what they saw as a fair share of the results of productivity gains
How many times have you heard a CEO or senior exec trot out those words. It is a common phrase but a rare company that acts as if they believe it. I have railed before about the invention of the title 'Human Resources' but that's how many companies treat their employees - numbers on the
I worked for some time ii the seafood sector. Traceability was a major issue, as it is across the whole food sector. If there is an outbreak of something like salmonella, rthe authorities need to be able to identify those who might be affected by it. Traceability should work across the whole supply chain - from farm (or fishing
The UK does not have a good record on employee training and development. Compared to many other developed countries the skill levels in our workforce are low. Government incentives to train and develop employees are not strong. - and many employers are fearful about giving employees skills which increase their value to competitor organisations. "Train them
Of course it is. By its very definition, it produces. It turns out goods - often in high quantities. But does manufacturing have high productivity? Yes, it does. Over the years, manufacturing has adopted lots of new technologies - and all of these have had a positive effect on productivity… reducing the time taken to
When starting a task - a simple one or a complex multi-faceted project - the most important factor is to fully understand the context of the task - and your purpose in starting it. What are you trying to achieve? Why is this task/project important in achieving your goals? If you do fully understand the
There is quite a variety of views on the effectiveness of multi-tasking. Some people think it is essential to cope with the demand of a modern workplace. Others think it simply distracts from the efficiency of single-focus work. There is some truth in both views and whether multitasking is 'right' for a worker depends on
I’m interested in both technology and productivity so naturally I have an interest in how technology can underpin improved productivity Like lots of people recently, I have been experimenting with AI software. What becomes clear very quickly is that ‘there is a lot of it about’. Most people are aware of the existence of ChatGPT but