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
Teamwork is essential in any organisation. Each team must have clear goals and targets and must be capable of working collaboratively to achieve them. Until a couple of years ago,. team building and team development followed well-established patterns based on a thorough understanding of team building and associated problems. Then pandemic and the move to
We hear quite a lot these days about work-life balance. But how do you know your own balance is wrong? Well, burnout is man obvious sign. If you are exhausted, physically or mentally, you need to re-evaluate your priorities. But it is not always so obvious. Another possible sign is that your health is OK but you’re
For some time I was a member of the governing Council of a UK professional body. We had regular meetings about the forward direction and strategy for the organisation, which at its peak had abut 25,000 members. We Council members talked, pontificated, debated important issues. As ever, on such bodies, everybody thought they should make some contribution to
Some managers think they need to keep an eye on their staff, fearing that, if they don’t, those staff will nor give their maximum contribution. One of the problems is that the staff will know they are being watched and will lose motivation immediately, fearing they are not trusted to work to the best of