Happy New Year

Since publication date of this blog is right at the end of the year, I simply want to wish everyone a productive new year. During the holidays, I am sure you have been reflecting on your goals for 2023 and how you may achieve them.  Without goals you simply cannot be successful. With goals , but no plan to achieve them, you will be frustrated.

Success doesn’t just happen - even with dedication and hard work. Your parents were wrong.  Your work has to be in the right direction, moving you (sometimes very slowly) towards your goals.  Each action you take should be part of your master plan. 

Of course you need some luck -but people tend to make their own luck by recognising and exploiting opportunities as they arise.

You might need to take a risk or two  - but if your goal is important enough, it should be worth it.  However, take only controlled risks - where you have assessed the potential consequences and thought about mitigation if things do go wrong.  You will become safer and more resilient.

Recognise those who can help you - snd those who cannot or will not. Engage with the former.

2023 could be your best year yet.  Try and make it so. I wish you well.

Monitoring Employee Work Habits

With Working from Home still being a a large factor for many organisations, monitoring of employee work habits has become more common.

When did they send the email?

When did they access the latest briefing note?

Questions like these ,and many more, are becoming easier to answer with messaging snd team-based software becoming prevalent.

Such monitoring is often seen as an infringement of employee privacy and considered inappropriate for ‘well-managed’ firms.

However, the same data that can be used to ’spy on’ workers and hold them to account for their lack of presence or  engagement can also be used to check on their well-being.

Instead of the questions above, we could ask:

Why are they sending work-related emails at 2 am? Or ...

Why have they been online for seven straight hours?

A few days or perhaps weeks of out-of-hours working will start to lower their focus and their productivity.

Management means making sure you have all the right resources in place, operating at optimum performance.  You need your employees fit, engaged and alert not tired/exhausted.

What's on your 'Don't Do' list

Most of us have some form of ToDo list.

This might be very simple  - a list of things in our head that we want to do today or this week - or we might use a sophisticated task manager.  However there are often things on the list that shouldn’t be there - either their relevance (or their due date) has passed, or they are simply not important enough - they don’t make a large enough contribution to our strategic goals.

These items should be moved to a (real or imaginary) Don’t Do list to clear the Todo list and refocus our efforts on what is really important.

Not doing something saves time, effort and money - a real productivity earner.  Moving it to a Don’t Do list secures the win.

 

Limited Success

The UK is successful in many areas - it has a large, successful renewable energy sector, a whopping great financial services sector and a large tech startup sector.  Yet UK productivity does not reflect these advantages.

Skills seem to hold back UK industry - many firms are finding it impossible to recruit the skilled or experienced workers they need.

This ends in a bidding war for the available talent - and this reduces productivity by putting up costs.

Traditionally, if labour is expensive or scarce - or both - firms have used technology to fill the gaps.

This might be what they have to do now - to meet the current skills shortage.

They should investigate where technology solutions can transform processes .and where it can help improve the information flows that will enable the executive team to better manage those processes.

All of that will only work, however, if the firms have the necessary skills and expertise to manage the resulting transformation projects.  Technology can unlock growth and improve productivity.  But it can place a noose around the neck of the organisation if technology solutions are badly designed or poorly implemented.

The Right Rhythm

We have known for many years that some of us are larks and some of us are owls.  Well, this simple categorisation has been confirmed by experts (2007 study published in Personality and Individual Differences) who suggest there are actually four of these states - called chronotypes.

There are evidently four chronotypes: Lions, dolphins, wolves and bears. 

Lions wake up early with lots of energy, while wolves are most energetic in the evenings. Dolphins are light sleepers who are often diagnosed with insomnia and bears need a full eight hours of sleep every night.

The significance of this s that each of us should establish a work-rest pattern and schedule which matches our own particular chronotype.  We need to work with the natural rhythms of our body, not fight against them.

Your chronotype can have an impact on your personality, sleep behaviour and general health …. And, of course, on your productivity.

You can take a quiz to establish your chronotype at https://thesleepdoctor.com/sleep-quizzes/chronotype-quiz/.

Get the Balance Right

Many people have been working from home during the pandemic. In fact many of them are still working from home for at least part of their working week.

For most of these people, this has been great for their work-life balance.  They have been better able to balance the demands of their work with other responsibilities - family, childcare and so on.

Work-life balance has been a ‘hot topic’ for a number of years. Some industries became ‘toxic’ and made unreasonable demands on staff, expecting attendance (real or virtual) over extended hours.  This was made worse by the availability of technologies which kept people in contact with the workplace over (and beyond) those extended hours.

The problem is that the working-from-home aspect of the pandemic has tipped the work-life balance too far away from work.  We hear rumours of lots of people ‘quiet quitting’ - working the minimum they can get away - very low productivity.

So, firms now have the tricky problem of moving the pivot back towards work without antagonising staff to the point where the quiet quitting becomes much louder.

The balance might not move back into the toxic zone but it needs to move back into the productivity zone! 

Do Less

Can we raise productivity by doing less?

Well, if that lesser activity has a greater impact, then Yes, We Can.

You need to shift the mindset of your managers to concentrate on key results and key impacts, rather than counting units or activities or hours worked.

Focus on these impact activities and you start to moves the needle into the ‘golden zone’, that vertical thread that connects mission and vision, through objectives, through key performance indicators to actions and activities.  If that thread is broken, you are wasting resources.

Get your staff focused on key results and you should move the needle back to where it should be - where it has the most impact on productivity.

A popular (and iconic) example of this involved President Kennedy’s visit to the NASA Space Centre in the early 1960’s...... 

During the visit, President John F. Kennedy noticed a janitor carrying a broom. He interrupted his tour, walked over to the man and said ‘Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy. What are you doing?’ 

‘Well, Mr. President’, the janitor responded, ‘I’m helping put a man on the moon.’ 

To the naked eye, this janitor was just cleaning the building, but in the more mythic, larger story unfolding around him, he was helping put a man on the moon. And the point is: No matter how large or small the role, employees are (or should be) contributing to the larger story unfolding within the business  - and to the ultimate mission.

They, and you, should be concentrating on what really matters. 

Know Your Enemy

If it aint broke, don’t fix it.

That’s a useful slogan in some circumstances - but not in business.

If you expect the status quo to deliver success, you are likely to be disappointed - or you are in some sort of niche situation or industry.

If you aim to maintain the status quo, you are not improving.

But your competitors might be.  

While you relax in your confidence in the current situation, they come roaring past with new ideas, new products, new features, new processes - or any one of the myriad things that can give them an advantage over you.

The status quo - and especially your complacency with it - is your enemy!

Hard or Soft?

Is productivity improvement a hard or soft skill?

Is it better, for example, to consider and analyse hard performance data or approach improvement from a softer, behavioural stand point.

This is definitely not an ‘either …. or’ scenario.  Hard and soft skills are complementary.

When we change elements of a process, a system, a procedure or a specification, we fail unless the result is changed behaviour.

Preferably we make our changes to processes, systems, etc within a changed culture where we expect contributions as to what to change and how to change to come, in part, from those whose behaviour we want to modify.

Change is much more likely to be successful and sustainable when people do it to themselves (or at least contribute to it)  rather than having it imposed externally.

So, if you want to appoint someone to lead change, make sure they have hard skills - so they can diagnose problems and opportunities for change, and soft skills - so they can generate and support the changed behaviours that lead to real improvement.

The Productivity Divide

 I have written a number of blog posts relating to working from home including ones that describe the  difference in view of effectiveness of WFH as perceived by employees and their managers.

Managers who think staff working from home are not always productive sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to monitor what they think is productivity.

They may monitor websites and apps visited by employees during work hours; they may monitor keystrokes; they may block certain sites; they may capture random screenshots.

Of course, if employees know such surveillance is going on, they will find ways of working around it, and we have a form of ‘arms race’ as each outdoes the other. 

None of it, of course, is productive.

All this goes away if the managers start to concentrate on outputs, and outcomes, instead of inputs.

Ask not, “What do we want our employees to do?” but “What do we want our employees to achieve?”

Digital Presenteeism

We know there is a disconnect between the views of employers and employees on the productivity of working from home. Employees are happier and believe they are more productive; their managers are not so sure.

Now it seems, that some of those employees are indulging in what has been termed ‘productivity theatre’.  They make sure their mouse moves frequently - even if they are not working productively - in case their keystrokes are being monitored.

They also attend online meetings which do not directly involve them so managers can spot their participation.

However, this ‘presenteesim’ in not engagement - or not meaningful engagement anyway.  These people are wasting time and being non-productive by trying to show themselves as productive.

This productivity gap needs to be filled.

Its Not Foootball

Lots of US sports articles talk about productivity of a team, or a quarterback or other star player. Of course, they don’t understand the meaning of ‘productivity’. What they are talking about is ‘performance’.

The  two are linked but they are not synonymous. Productivity is a ratio of output to input whereas performance relates to output only.

Does it matter if sports reporters use the wrong term?

Well, in the greater scheme of things, not really.

BUT …

If the readers of such articles get to understand productivity as a measure of output and then see articles talking about national productivity they might make judgements on what they read based on their false concept. This could even influence their political thinking and then their voting pattern.

So, that sports writer could be responsible for  a change of mayor, senator or, even,  president.

Perhaps we should encourage US sports writers to understand productivity and write accordingly.

Perhaps, also, we should encourage all citizens to understand productivity and act accordingly.   

After all, it is productivity that’s determines their future wealth and well-being.

 

UK Future Pfroductivity

 The UK has a new monarch and a new Prime minister- one avowedly committed to economic growth as the way to climb out off the abyss we are in.

But, as yet, apart from the long-espoused commitment to tax cuts, we have seen little evidence of what will create that growth.

Where is the infrastructure strategy?

Where is the skills strategy?

These are key responsibilities of government for a high performing, high productivity nation.

As yet, we have heard a few platitudes, but no plans.

I am available for an advisory role!

Stop Procrastinating: Use the 5 minute rule

 Many of us procrastinate.  We leave tasks we don’t want to do. And work on simpler tasks that we enjoy - or at least tolerate.

If this sounds like you, then read on.

The five-minute rule is a cognitive-behavioural technique that tricks the brain into starting something it has been trying to avoid. The rule  is that you must commit just five minutes to the task, knowing that when the five minutes are up, you can stop, and move on to something else, if you want to.

The chances are that simply starting the task has allowed you to overcome the biggest hurdle to completion and, in many cases,  you will be able to complete the rest of your task more easily - and straight away. 

However, for the five-minute rule to work, you must give those first five minutes your undivided, total attention.

Try it! What have you got to lose?

A New Start

The UK has a new monarch and a new Prime minister- one avowedly committed to economic growth as the way to climb out off the abyss we are in.

But, as yet, apart from the long-espoused commitment to tax cuts, we have seen little evidence of what will create that growth.

Where is the infrastructure strategy?

Where is the skills strategy?

These are key responsibilities of government for a high performing, high productivity nation.

As yet, we have heard a few platitudes, but no plans.

I am available for an advisory role!

A non-Meeting Culture

We know that meetings suck time snd energy out of an organisation - so why do we have so many. Especially these days when there are so many other ways of communicating without dragging  everyone to a central point which requires some of them to leave their offices and travel to that central point, further taking up their precious time.

One way that some organisations have found to find out what meetings  are essential is to establish a code of voluntary, rather than mandatory, attendance.

Relevant people are informed that a particular meeting is to be held and are given the agenda.  They then decide whether they need to, or want to, attend.

It helps, of course, to have some means of measuring the outcomes and the effectiveness of meetings so that a comparison of the ‘before’ and ‘after’ cultures can be made …. but, in the absence of formal measures, managers will’ know’ whether the new regime is working.

Equally, of courses it helps if those at the top also establish an effective communication process to ensure important messages are cascaded throughout the organisation.

Those meetings that have few attendees should be considered for review and possible removal.  Look at the agendas and the potential length of the meetings.  People often complain about the length and frequency of meetings as much as the fact that it exists in the first place.

So, empower your employees to choose which meetings they attend - and mean it.  Fill any communication  gaps.  After, say, 6 months, survey staff and find out their reactions - which meetings may be removed from the schedule … and whether any new, perhaps informal, meetings have been established to fill any gaps.

Then establish a new schedule of fewer, more efficient meetings.

Its not quite a simple as it sounds…. but it is a way of moving to a new low-meeting culture which still works effectively and releases time for other activities.

What should You Do in Your Breaks?

Simple question asked here. Can you do anything in your break times to help your work performance?

Well, of course, you can.

Drink water - and keep hydrated.

Take a walk.  Humans are made to move - not sit still. 

Breathe.  Make positive attempts to breathe deeply and soundly.

If you are going to snack, snack healthily.

Avoid using your phone.  You’ve probably spent the last hour or so looking at a screen. Give your eyes and brain a rest.

These are all simple things - but they can make a difference to your performance.

Give it a try - and see if you feel better and/or perform better.

Behaving Like Children?

Bullying does take place in many workplaces.

Bullying gets a lot of attention in schools ands colleges - and there are strategies to deal with it and the consequences of it.

This rarely happens in the workplace.  Most firms don’t know whether bullying happens in their organisation - and, where it might, they usually chose to ignore it, assuming it will sort itself out. 

The problem, and the difference between bullying in schools, is that in workplaces it is often those in authority that are the perpetrators - intimidating, offending or humiliating those that report to them.

The result can be short term performance loss, but, if not checked, it can result in longer-term mental health issues. Often, the only recourse for the victim is to leave their job.

All of this can have a major impact on productivity and be very expensive. 

The culture of the organisation can be changed  - with far-reaching effect.

Companies need to find ways of making themselves aware of incidents or patterns of bullying. One clear way is a form of ’whistleblowing’ reporting system which guarantees anonymity for the whistleblowers - at least in the initial stages.

The company then needs to make sure the bullying is addressed - without causing further harm to the victim.  The victim must be supported and the bully must be punished  but, more importantly, have his/her behaviour changed.

There is clearly a role for training and development but there is also a need to clarify values and management policies and practices which are deemed acceptable.

The result can be an improvement in organisational culture, in staff well-being and morale - and in productivity.

Any costs should easily pay for themselves.  

Changing culture and management practice can be costly - but nowhere near as costly as a poor culture and a bullied workforce!

Sporting inspiraton

This summer, in the UK, has been glorious and packed with sport - Wimbledon, Commonwealth Games, European Championships, It got me thinking about how athletes and sports people prepare for a season in which they want to, or need to, peak several times.

Sports coaches and sports scientists seems to have developed this ability within elite athletes.

In business, some types of activity have a similar requirement - event-related companies, for example, need to. be at peak performance for each event.

How many managers of such companies have been to talk to, or read about, sports coaches to see what they can learn about continually raising the organisation to peak performance?  Very few, I suspect. Yet, learning from others in different contexts but with similar issues is an important attribute.

Small Projects are Important

When we think about project management, many people naturally think of large-scale projects - building a new motorway, a new rail line or a new power station are obvious examples.

Small projects, however, need project managing in the same way.  The principles and practises are the same. 

We break the project down into manageable tasks, schedule these tasks so as to create the shortest project duration, make sure we have enough resources, and then we manage the project - probably on a daily basis - to make sure the project goes according to plan.

if it doesn’t, we adjust resources or adjust sequencing - if all fails we have a longer project than we wanted - and in some cases that can be expensive, embarrassing or both.

So, forget the size of the project, Manage it as if it were a new motorway.

A Day Is Not Enough

This year, June 20th was World Productivity Day.

I only found out about this at the beginning of July.  It had already passed me by - with no impact on me, or, I suspect the rest of the world.

Those who think about productivity on World Productivity day will only be successful if they also think about productivity on most other days of the year and build it into their regular thinking - and regular activity.

It cannot be a special event type of thing.  Oh, it’s June - let’s think about our productivity.

So, if you did recognise, even celebrate, World Productivity Day, take the chance to start that embedding process.  Use the day as ‘the first day of your productivity life’.  

Learn, Plan, Execute, Repeat.

Make sure everyone else in the organisation is also thinking productivity - as individuals and as members of teams.  

Communicate, Train, Mentor.

No-one is going to do it for you. It’s up to you.  

On Reflection

There is plenty of advice on how to start your working day - by establishing priorities, by reviewing your To Do list and so on . However, the other end of the day can be just as important.

I find a quiet period of reflection can help clear the mind and prepare for a proper night’s rest.

Think about what went well, what didn’t and why? What could you have done better?  What should you have done differently?  How will this affect what you do tomorrow and how you do it?

It might help to start a daily journal and record these thoughts so you can re-read them later.

If nothing else, you should have clarity about your performance - good and bad.  Don’t worry if you feel you have too many ‘bad’ entries.  The aim is not to berate yourself but to improve.

This is better for your self-development than reading ‘inspiring quotes’.  This is real-world experience and learning.

Action is not Productivity

 If you run around all day long, switching from tasks to task, you may end up completing little, achieving less.

 You probably need to think more, act less. Plan more, execute more efficiently.

This applies to your organisation. Sometimes, your employees may be working very hard but making little progress towards longer-term goals and objectives.   Like you, they need focus and direction, not more action.

Workers who are not productive are almost always in that position because the ‘system’ lets them down.

Engage them - and engage with them.  Find out what frustrates  them ,what stops them being more productive.

Then work out what you can do to remove the barriers and release the energy

Obsession

Sorry about returning to the subjects of 4 day working weeks and remote working. But I continue to see claims that both of these increase productivity.

Most of these clams seem to arise from surveys of staff who themselves claim they are more productive working from home.

I am prepared to believe that staff are happier working from home, without the daily commute and I do believe that, in general terms, happier staff are more productive, more engaged staff.

However, I started my productivity career as a humble work study engineer looking at what people were doing in their work role snd trying to improve it.   I soon realised that what we really needed to study was not work but non-work - the waiting time and waste caused by ‘the system’ or the process. People can work hard and productively but still be part of an inefficient system.

I think these happy WFH employees are doing this. Their personal productivity may have risen but the overall system and organisational productivity suffers from the silo working and lack of idea building that results from people locked in their homes instead of sharing information and ideas in the office.

I promise not to return to this topic for a while. It seems to have become a mini-obsession but I don’t like people claiming productivity increases when they are not measuring it.

Four Day Week

Various companies are experimenting with a 4 day working week.  There seems to be  a general belief ‘in the air’ that productivity will remain the same or even increase.

I have expressed my doubts about this in the past but my real observation is that these companies seem to be forgetting that the world, more generally, is moving to a 7 day working week.

Now, I’m not suggesting that people should work 7 days a week, but to reduce the number of days does not make much sense to me.  In many cases, it is office workers who are making this change to their week while others, because of the nature of their work they do, are prevented from making the change.

What do you think this does to the morale of front-line 5 day workers?

Those office and admin staff are supposed to be there to support the front line troops and probably already have lower working hours, better vacation allowance and even better pension arrangements. Now they are going to get a four day working week!

And we expect the productivity of the organisation to stay the same or improve!