Blog2020-11-04T19:42:16+00:00

Speed is Still Not Everything

By |September 28th, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

I wrote a week ago about the danger of thinking that (productivity) improvement is always about increasing speed. I thought this week about an example that sums this up quite nicely. I went recently to

Speed is not Everything

By |September 21st, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

 I have talked here before about the danger in concentrating on speed of operation as the primary focus of improvement efforts.  It can, for example mean a drop in quality…. and it can mean a team

The Creativity of Ignorance

By |September 14th, 2024|Categories: Innovation, Productivity|

Sometimes when looking at problems or searching for innovation, it is a handicap to have too much knowledge of the context of the problem. For example, if you give the problem of spanning a river

Problem or Opportunity

By |September 7th, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

I don’t like aphorisms such as “There are no problems, only opportunities”.    This Is sometimes true but is so vague as to encompass real problems and  disasters which require being treated as such,  Can you imagine, "Houston,

Work Hard, Like The Rest of Them

By |August 31st, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

If you work in an environment where everyone is busy and working hard you will tend to work hard yourself.  There will be fewer distractions and your work level will be visible to others. At break

Does Money Motivate?

By |August 24th, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

It is commonly accepted that money is a prime motivator for employed people [ie - they come to work earn money to live and will leave for another job if its pays more. Of course,

Not Mere Minutes

By |August 17th, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

I was talking to a distant relative the other day who has been working from home for more than 2 years - and loves it.  He told me about the various co-ordination meetings he had to

Oh No, Not Mondays

By |August 10th, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

An online  survey of American workers suggests that they feel at their most productive on Monday mornings.  The week is new, memories of the weekend cast a rosy glow and the world feels good. So, why do

Communication Is Not Always Good

By |August 3rd, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

We are constantly urging firms to communicate effectively with their employees - letting them know what is happening … and why.  This is particularly true of issues that affect those employees. Communicating should be easy as

Warehousing is a Productivity Success

By |July 27th, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

Warehousing is one area where productivity has risen steadily over the last couple of decades.This has been partly due to the rise of the ‘super retailer’, the boom in online purchasing - and the boom

Does Manufcturing Matter?

By |July 6th, 2024|Categories: National Productivity, Productivity|

Spoiler alert!. Yes, it does! Manufacturing, in spite of continual productivity gains over several decades, is a large employer.  But it also employs a multiple more (often several multiples more) in the wider supply chain -

Take Action

By |June 29th, 2024|Categories: Innovation, Productivity|

Occasionally we see an organisation that has pulled itself back from the brink of extinction.  There are two main routes to such survival - one is to find a different product/service (product innovation) ; the other

Perfection is Over-Rated

By |June 22nd, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

We all know people who are perfectionists.  They strive in everything they do to be the best, to out-perform all others, to be number one. In some walks of life, this can be a great attribute.

Hand in Hand

By |June 15th, 2024|Categories: National Productivity, Productivity|

I read a report recently which suggested that the workforce in Pakistan lacks both appropriate skills and the work ethic needed to significantly improve productivity. (This is not of course exclusive to Pakistan - it

A Narrow View of Culture

By |June 1st, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

Most business people are aware that the culture of an organisation has a direct and significant impact on performance and productivity. What is organisation culture? At its most simple, it is the collection of beliefs and

Have We All Been Conned?

By |May 25th, 2024|Categories: Productivity, Sustainability|

Over the last several decades, especially since the second world war, we have been encouraged, and exhorted, to be more productive - to meet ever-stretching targets.  And we have done it. Productivity figures over these years

Longer and Wider

By |May 14th, 2024|Categories: Innovation, Productivity|

Too many executive teams are focused on this quarter’s results - the results that will be pored over by stakeholders and analysts, eager for some sign of development, of improving fortunes, of higher profit potential.

Stick With Lean

By |May 4th, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

I read an article recently which suggested that forward-thinking companies need to merge their ‘traditional’ Lean practices with newer approaches such as AI. Whilst accepting the principle behind this comment, I think it is a

Soften Up Your People

By |April 27th, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

Quite rightly, many productivity gurus (like me) stress the importance of team working, team skills and team motivation in driving high performance.  Few important tasks in industry and commerce are completed solely by individuals - they mostly

What Do You Expect?

By |April 20th, 2024|Categories: Productivity|

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog will know that I am a great believer in looking after the well-being of your employees - making sure they are engaged, fully skilled, motivated

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