Can productivity be raised too far. Is high productivity ever a problem? Well, it depends on how you look at it and the context/situation you are considering/measuring. For example, it is possible, by applying productivity improvement to one part of a process or sequence of activities, to create a bottleneck where the throughput of the
If you can’t control events or situations, you might find yourself getting anxious. This is negative thinking, likely to have an adverse effect on your performance and productivity. In such situations, it is important to identify what you can control and focus on those things. For example, when the pandemic hit, it was an external,
There is some research evidence from India that suggests that providing farmers with information and advice about the use of pesticides, high yield seeds, weather forecasts, etc is more important than ‘showing them what to do’. Farmers react more positively when you leave responsibility with them. Of course, today the technology exists to provide advice and
As we gain hope, and maybe even confidence, with the first virus injections, it is time to reflect on the effects of the pandemic and form plans for the future. There are two main items of consideration. One is your readiness for the pandemic when it happened. Did you handle it quickly? Well? Was such a
Was what you did and achieved in 2020 the best you could do, bearing in mind the limits caused by the pandemic? If not, you have to think about what you can do and achieve in 2021 to improve. There is no point repeating what you did last year and expecting better results. So, set
We know Christmas day was yesterday, and we know some readers do not celebrate Christmas ... but we send greetings anyway. We also remind you that 'festivities' are valuable in the workplace - to celebrate, and cement, success. So, take what chances you can to combine seasonal cheer with rewards for effort and success.
Every business - and every manager in that business - should know what are the critical success factors … what must the company do - and do well - if they are to be successful. What are the factors that underpin the mission. The aim is not to identify lots of these - but the essential (‘critical’)
We have all been in situations where we have received efficient, friendly service from someone with a smile. Efficient AND friendly service is so much more effective at creating customer well-being and customer loyalty than merely efficient service. We remember it. We value it. We react to it. It must be more than ‘smile training’
Lots of workers (in manufacturing) are concerned about losing their jobs to robots, as the inexorable rise of automated machines and AI gathers pace. One common ‘defence’ is to suggest that robots only take over the drudgery - leaving the humans to take on more skilled, more knowledge-based tasks, and making the workplace safer. This
The obvious answer is ‘Yes’ but is that the right answer? it depends on what you means by ‘worry about’. The CEO needs to worry about ‘big issues’ - those that directly affect achievement of strategic aims and the overall mission. Of course, productivity is important. It is a useful measure of ‘future profit’, of