Various companies are experimenting with a 4 day working week. There seems to be a general belief ‘in the air’ that productivity will remain the same or even increase. I have expressed my doubts about this in the past but my real observation is that these companies seem to be forgetting that the world, more generally, is
Especially in difficult times (and current times certainly count as ‘difficult’ for most businesses), business asks for help from government. Yet in the good times (and they will come again), they want government to stop ‘interfering’. They can’t expect to have it whichever way they like. The role of government in improving productivity is simple. They
Leaders, and especially entrepreneurs, are hard-wired to seize opportunities and follow leads. This is only effective, however, when those leads and opportunities help you move forward in your existing strategy towards your agreed mission and vision. Otherwise they are a distraction and they suck energy out of you and your organisation. Always judge potential opportunities
Very few organisations improve productivity by accident. They may do so as a ’by-product’ of some other initiative (such as installing new technology or establishing a new workforce development programme) but productivity doesn’t just come along unbidden. This means that you have to seek it out. You have to plan for it. You have to examine your
Many business leaders think technology can give them a productivity boost. They may well be right. Addressed properly, changes in technology can transform processes and make them more efficient. However,. the gains are not easy to unlock - and they certainly take time. There may even be a temporary drop in productivity while new technology or a
If you hate Monday mornings, you are probably in the wrong job … but so many of you, I know, cannot simply change your job at this time. Perhaps one reason so many people hate Mondays is that they have to move from the freedom of being able to choose what to do to a
When I was learning about management and productivity, one important exercise was the in-tray exercise where the student is faced with a pile of documents from an in-tray and has to work through the pile dealing with them if possible or prioritising them for later handling if that is more appropriate. Some could perhaps be delegated
I read quite a lot of studies that suggest that remote working did not and does not, negatively impact productivity. However, I am sceptical. The studies are generally of 2 types. The first set are studies that essentially consist of questionnaires asking employees if they have been less productive whilst working from home. Not surprisingly, they
In the past, you measured how hard people were working by such things as noting who was at their desk or who spoke up in meetings, and who had extended breaks or too many days off sick. In these days of remote and hybrid working, you’ll have to find a new way. Those simple observations
Many employees claim they spend too much time coordinating their activity with others instead of driving forward their primary activities. Working from home has made this worse. Employees are forever on Zoom or Teams calls, talking about that they have done or what they are scheduled to do.. This means they are not carrying out their primary