Solving the Productivity Puzzle – Step 1
Redefine “productivity”. 19th/20th Century: “the ratio of output to inputs used in a production process, i.e. output per unit of input”;
21st Century: “getting stuff done that measurably improves the economic and human interests of organizations & society at large.
Solving the Productivity Puzzle – Step 2
Do you understand what really motivates your people? As the 14th century poet Rumi observed: “Everyone has been made for some particular work and the desire for that work has been put in every heart”
Organizations that try to put this sentiment at the center of how the develop, engage and deploy their workforce allow people to flourish and excel.
Solving the Productivity Puzzle – Step 3
Do you have the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time, with the right motivation? Organizations that do are top performers. Organizations that do create People Engagement, Innovation and Performance (PEIP)
Solving the Productivity Puzzle – Step 4
Do you strive to balance people’s intrinsic & extrinsic motivations? People are as motivated by what they do (intrinsic) as they are by pay (extrinsic). A mix of cash & non-cash rewards is essential in today’s workplace.
Solving the Productivity Puzzle – Step 5
Do you have an effective employee well-being programme? Even the smallest efforts can have a big pay-off. For example, encouraging employees to stay hydrated during the day can improve brain processing function by up to 20%.
Solving the Productivity Puzzle – Step 6: Are Your Technology Solutions ‘Human Centric”?
Does your employee online experience look more like the year 2000 or 2020? Most organizations are still using a PC with a mouse and a keyboard on a MAC or Windows OS. When at home, people use voice activated devices, mobile devices with Apps connected IoT. At work? No so much. Why?
Solving the Productivity Puzzle – Step 7: Are You Leveraging the Innovation of “Different Brains”?
Neurodiverse individuals bring a different way of looking at things driving innovation in products and services, as well as new ways of working. Looking at challenges from a different perspective produces innovative solutions. Read my blog on the subject in August.
Solving the Productivity Puzzle – Step 8: Are You Leveraging Senior Workers and Their Experience?
The elongation of human lifespan in the 21st century is creating the fastest growing workforce demo: 70 and older. Senior talent has deep expertise that you should be putting work. The younger generations love reaching out to older workers to learn from them.
Solving the Productivity Puzzle – Step 9: The Machines are Coming: Will You Embrace Them or Fear Them?
Throughout history, humans have successfully harnessed machines to make themselves more productive. As digital technology becomes more intelligent, we should welcome the help.
Solving the Productivity Puzzle – Step 10: What are you, the individual doing to drive change?
Steps 1 to 9 are about the organization, step 10 is about you! If you are a leader, lead change, if you are an employee, demand change: drive People Engagement Innovation & Performance.
