Lucky us!

My father, who unfortunately died early at the age of only 54, was, like me, a technophile.

I often say on seeing or using some new piece of technology .. “My dad would have been amazed by this”.

Of course it’s not only technology that has changed since he was around. The would is a different place in many ways and he would have been surprised at many of them.

I was reflecting on this the other day and thought about what might have surprised him the most. Certainly the internet/web he would have loved ... but in the end I settled on Ted talks; the fact that so much knowledge/learning is available at your fingertips - and for free - with some of the World’ greatest minds available in your living room - is truly astonishing.

We are such a lucky generation!

Dock the Tail

The top one per cent of UK firms grew on average by eight per cent each year between 2004 and 2014, while the lower 99 per cent experienced annual productivity growth of less than one per cent over the same period. This is the long tail of UJK business productivity which has to be shortened if national productivity is to rise significantly.

But how do we cut this tail. 

Well, many of these 'tail companies' are small businesses.

The UK government, like most governments, often expresses its commitment to, and support for, small businesses. But they throw these businesses small 'bones' of support or comfort occasionally; they rarely construct, much less execute, a coherent  and sustained programme of support.

Small businesses rarely ask for much - a favourable tax regime, an absence of bureaucracy and access to finance are their most common requests. Government responds with more regulation and legislation - because that is the business of government.

Governments often seems to want to stifle productivity development. Over the last decade, many have been supporting 'ailing businesses', creating 'zombie' firms that should have gone to the wall.

All they need to do is to create an environment in which well-run firms can thrive and prosper. Then they need to get out of the way and let those firms get on with it.  Some won't make it - but that is the law of the (business) jungle.  It will see the tail reduce. 

Job done!

One thing at once

We are all under pressure to multitask - to deal with emails, messages and reminders whilst also doing our 'real job'.

Even when not under this avalanche of inputs, many of us choose to listen to music as we work. We eat lunch at our desks as we work.

Students update their facebook pages (and more) whilst they listen to lectures

All this means our productivity is increasing, right?

Wrong!

For most of us it means our performance dips.

A recent research study shows students who multitasked on their laptops during lectures scored consistently lower in tests (by about 17%) than their non-multitasking peers.

We seem to have difficulty balancing priorities among all the tasks - dealing with trivial rather than important issues because they require less concentration and thus fit well in a multitasking scenario.

But failing to concentrate on, and effectively deal with,  the important items  on your agenda is not a recipe for success.

Stop working

On a recent business class flight, the guy next to me got out his laptop and worked on if for most of the flight. I ate the meal, had a drink, snoozed a little and did a crossword. 

Who was the most productive?

Well of course, he would claim he was. He got some work done.

But that is like people who confuse productivity with production. Doing more is not necessarily being more productive.

In my relaxed time onboard, I was not doing nothing.  I was contemplating, thinking and reflecting. I went into meetings later that week much better prepared and I am convinced the decisions I took that week were ‘better’.

We get so little time to consider and reflect, it is worth taking the time to stop and do so when you can. In the broader sense, you might get less done ... but your productivity will increase.

Is TRIZ for you?

I only recently cam across TRIZ - a (Russia-originated) problem solving and creativity guide for 'the rest of us' - those who are not creative by nature.  Part of its 'secret' is that it is built 'on the shoulders of giants' - an analysis of past patents and patent applications from which it draws out 'innovative principles'.

So, to solve a problem you simply (?) decide what type of problem it is, find which general category it falls into, see what people have done in the past - and identify the broad category of solution; apply this broad solution to your problem to create your solution, your new product or whatever.

This is a relatively analytical approach to creativity - whoever would have thought that was possible,

Such an approach may or may not suit you and your team - but I recommend you read up and try it. You have little to lose - and you might dramatically improve your creativity.