Automation has long been championed as a driver of higher productivity in the manufacturing sector. It has been very successful in some areas - most often in high volume manufacturing operations such as automotive and computing. We are all used to seeing robots carrying out activities such as welding car parts. However in lower
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 of new technologies - and all of these have had a positive effect on productivity… reducing the time taken to
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 are you trying to achieve? Why is this task/project important in achieving your goals? If you do fully understand the
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 this for some time and s number of them have come to the same conclusion - that they need to hunker
Physical and mental stress are all too common as more people seem to find the pressures of completing expected work tasks and expected in-office time too much to bear. As firms shed labour to cut costs, the problems become worse. Work-life balance is not merely about cutting working hours or simply dividing hours between WORK and HOME life'
Many employees, when asked in job satisfaction surveys, express the view that they are constantly tired and often under stress. Even in organisations with standard work hours, employees are increasingly expected to be available during evenings, weekends, and vacations. Now a degree of stress can be helpful in motivating and focusing employees but too much
In this world where many workers are still workings from home - or hybrid working - some managers find it hard to assess the performance of their staff. There has been a sharp increase in the use of employee monitoring software - often seen as intrusive and unfair by the employees themselves. Yet we know that
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
What separates the very best musicians from the also-rans is the long-term commitment to the goal, and to the practice required to achieve it. Hours, days, weeks and years of relentless practice drive up performance, improvs timing and rhythm and change the person from someone who plays an instrument into a musician. They become flexible, resilient, agile
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.