Policy has driven inequality
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,
Our People Are Our Greatest Asset
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
Task Traceabiity
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
Virtuous Circles
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
Is Manufacturing Productive?
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
All-Purpose
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
Time to Think
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
‘The Best’ is not necessarily Best
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
Its just not what YOU think
What makes a given process or situation more productive is often a set of factors, some of which are relatively simple and others complex and perhaps hidden. Assume you work for a forestry company. How do
Should You Become a Monk?
Strange question for a productivity blog, perhaps but stay with me. Increasing evidence suggests that multitasking is distracting. As is the interjection into the work-place and workstream of email, telephone vocals snd other distractions. People have realised
Education : What is it for?
What is the purpose of education ? Actually the question should split into: What is currently the purpose of education?. What is the purpose of future education? As fewer of us will have jobs
You Need a Plan B
Managers make plans. They do it often and over long periods of time. The rest of their time is spent executing those plans. However, as we all know, sometimes things go wrong. Worse still, often those things going
Ask the Right People the Right Questions
As a productivity professional, you get into the habit of asking 'awkward' questions - why do we do that?; why do you do that in that way?; But there are other questions that can be
The Impact of Safety on Productivity
What is the relationship between safety at work and the productivity of that work? Organisations that fail to take all possible safety measures are obviously more at risk of accidents and injuries - and in many countries,
The Importance of Engagement
Workforce engagement is important because it is linked with (and underpins) effort, innovation, productivity, and retention—and in industries/sectors/geographical areas with a competitive landscape and a shortage of talent, it can make or break a company,
Are You an Elite Leader?
Many leaders think they are elite - special at what they do, leaders of the pack. However many of those same leaders, if we analysed their performance and their success record, would turn out to
Metrics Matter
There are many ways to improve productivity and performance - via technology, process change, culture change and so on. But with each one, we need to measure the success (or otherwise) of our initiative to understand
Focus!
Interruptions are distractions. Those people who constantly respond to texts, emails and messaging systems might feel 'in the loop' but their productivity is probably woefully low. Discipline is needed to wait until an appropriate time when the task in
Communication is Key
Most people, on starting a new job, turn up with a positive attitude. They may be nervous about the new situation but they want to do well, to succeed, and in return to be valued and
Hard Work Is Not Enough
We all know that hard work is needed to be truly successful. However, we also know that hard work alone is not enough. We need our hard work to be in the right direction. One
Volunteers Needed
It is getting increasingly common for firms to introduce opportunities for volunteering amongst their staff. This may be partly altruistic - attempting to do some good for a national charity or for the local community
Inspire Yourself
To be productive and to make our organisation productive, we have to inspire each person in the organisation to be engaged with the company and their role within it, to want to be the best
Can Self-Reporting of Performance Be Helpful?
Spoiler alert: Yes it can! Some forms of self-reporting, as part of employee assessment snd review, ask those employees to report on how well they have performed. One would assume that most employees would consider
Strategy and Commitment (and even Charisma) are Not Enough
We all know of inspirational leaders. We might not know them personally; we might not have worked with them or under them. But we have seen them on the TV, read about them in newspapers