New Year Resolution

2013

 This, of course, is the time for resolution-determination to do more and/or better, to improve. But this shouldn't happen at new year- or, at least, not only at new year. Such determination should be ingrained in you at all times - and across your organisation.

So, by all means make a resolution - but resolve to keep resolving... to keep challenging and improving, asking questions and seeking answers.

Above all, resolve not to be complacent. Make this a truly productive year ... and the basis of many more.

What about the workers?

Information from India, provided by the ILO, shows that economic growth from 2008 to 2011 was over 7%. However real wages rose by about 1.6%.

This suggests that the fruits of productivity growth are not being shared with the workers.

This is unfortunately too typical. Over the last decade, the only part of the world in which wage differentials between the lowest and highest paid have reduced is Latin America. Elsewhere, in West and East, those differentials have increased ... and this is in countries which are supposed to have left-wing governments just as much as those which have, allegedly, right wing governments.

This seems inherently unfair ... and is surely a recipe for social unrest.

This is something to ponder as you sit down to your Christmas lunch.

Stand Up for Productivity

Many workers sit - at desks, at PCs, at assembly stations at ...

It has been known for many years that it s beneficial to give people the choice as to whether to sit or stand ... and to give them furniture that accommodates either.

Yet, it is rare to see such provision.

Presumably the cost of the furniture is deemed to be expensive ... and the payback period too long.

Yet I doubt that anyone has done a study to identify the productivity gain that would accrue ... and then to work out a 'real' payback schedule.

We might all be surprised.

Building partnerships

Regular readers will know I have just been in Mauritius helping to promote their national productivity campaign.

I talked to lots of stakeholders - employers, trades unions, educators, government agencies and even senior figures in the government. Quite often I met good will ... and a realisation that productivity is important to the future prosperity of Mauritius.

However, there did not seem to be a 'collective will' ... there were not enough strong partnerships and networks of groups involved in promoting and developing productivity.  Of course, you say, that is why they have a productivity campaign.

You are right of course.  But they need to build on awareness raised by creating the structures and the partnerships that can start to discuss and debate the key issues ... and so they can build a consensus ... and a shared (vision for the) future.

At least Mauritius is trying ... many other nations have not yet even realised how important productivity development is to the future wealth and well-being of their citizens.

Will it work?

I am currently in Mauritius, helping launch their National Productivity Campaign. I am talking to government officials, trades unions, employers, educators ... and the public.

Such campaigns are relatively common.  Do they work?

Well, it is difficult to say ... because one can rarely measure the 'counterfactual' ... what would have happened if the campaign had not been run.

So, they are largely an act of faith.

However getting everyone informed about productivity ... and lining up to participate in a coordinated strategy to improve national productivity cannot be a bad thing, can it?