Journey

I am travelling today from the UK to Bahrain for the World Productivity Congress.

I do not expect world-shattering insights ... but I do expect to think  and act a little differently from next week after the presentations and discussions.

When I stop learning - and being able to use that learning to think and act differently - I will really be 'old' and I might as well give up.

Life is a journey through experience.  Real journeys - especially to different cultures - add massively to those experiences.  I consider myself lucky to have travelled extensively around the globe.  But I consider myself sensible to have approached that travel with an open mind, to have observed, listened and reflected and built my own 'world view'.

Those of you who are joining me in Bahrain for the Congress, please stop me and say 'Hello'.  Those who cannot  .. let's hope there is another opportunity for our journeys to cross.

Get help from wherever you can?

Most of us will admit that we are not experts in all areas. (Some of us will even admit to not being an expert in any area.)

So, we take advice, help and support from those who know more than we do - or at least we do if we are sensible.

Of course we have to find knowledgeable people who know about our field of operation, or our type of problem.

Some of us use conferences to help us find experts.  We can use sector-based events that offer information and presentations form experts in our sector. Or we can use generic events, recognising that many lessons are transferrable across sectors  and it is the tools, techniques, approaches and methodologies we should be looking at.

I shall be at the World Productivity Congress shortly (April 2-4) to learn, share, discuss, reflect on issues around productivity - at the global,  regional, national and organisational level.  I don't necessarily expect to learn the 'great secret to productivity improvement' - but I do hope to hear about developments that will help me refine my own approach to supporting productivity development.

What have I got to lose.  Very little.
What have I got to gain. Possibly a great deal.

There is (just about) time to join me - what have you got to lose/gain?
Check out www.wpc-bh.com for information.

Micromanaging

Lots of management texts and courses tell us about the details of planning, organising and managing.  One problem is that managers can tend to think that they themselves have to immerse themselves in the detail.  They become micromanagers, obsessed about small steps and detail - instead of concentrating on the big picture and trusting others 'down the chain' to worry about detail. 

Employees see this as a lack of trust - and can often even see the manager doing their job for them.  Naturally, they turn off and disengage

Nobody likes to be micromanaged. So, don’t do it.

Productivity vs Efficiency

These two terms are often used interchangeably - but they are different.  Here I am not concerned with technical differences - but with philosophical or attitudinal differences.

Organisations that pride themselves on being efficient usually strive to achieve the same performance with fewer resources - doing the same with less.

Conversely, organisations that aim to be highly productive usually strive to do more with the same resources -doing more with the same.  They concentrate on the 'top line' (of the productivity ratio) - and the 'bottom line' takes care of itself.

Brexit (briefly) re-visited.

No-one is quite sure why the UK voted to leave the EU - but a recent study into the habits of 500 SMEs (small and medium enterprises), commissioned by online printing company instantprint, revealed that dealing with HR compliance forms, pension paperwork and health and safety regulations eats up an average of ten hours of the working week.

These companies took so long complying with regulation that they had  little or no time to focus on business growth.

This is not a recipe for success - and may be a small contributing factor to the Brexit vote.

Certainly we have to hope that Mrs May and her government will be looking to reduce the burden of bureaucracy as the UK leaves the EU.