Welcome to Amanda’s semi-regular blog, where she writes about how to improve business profitability
Productivity isn’t about production
When I work with organisations, I frequently identify key areas that are having a detrimental impact on productivity, and it is rarely on the production line.
Productivity growth requires change management
Learning shouldn’t stop when we leave formal education
Measuring productivity
Productivity measurement is one of the most important factors in the success of a business. It is vital, and sadly very few people know how to do it.
The impact of lethargy on our economy
In order to increase our productivity we need to understand lethargy
Are you pouring money down the drain?
We wouldn’t pour money down the drain, however, when it is disguised as staff time, we often do it without realising it.
Why are we so afraid of difference?
I recently engaged in the services of a virtual assistant. I had two really great candidates to choose from in the final lineup, and quite honestly could have engaged either one of them. In order to make a decision, I decided to pick the one that was least like me. Whilst it’s often tempting to recruit people like us, from a business and productivity point of view, recruiting for difference is often the smarter move.
Have you outgrown your current software?
If software had a sell-by date I’m sure that UK productivity would be far higher than it has been since 2008.
We’re rubbish at defining problems
Most of us are pretty rubbish at defining problems. We spend so much time in our heads ruminating the problem we shut down our ability to think expansively about it.
Spreadsheets are not a panacea
My husband thinks that Excel can be used for anything, from planning a project to producing a technical drawing – yes really!
The grass isn’t always greener
When you’re stuck in the 9-5 grind of a day job, particularly one where your time is charged by the hour, it can seem very appealing to jack it in and become self-employed. That feeling that you could be working for yourself is alluring – you could charge less, and still be better off.
I wonder how many people in this situation have read The eMyth Revisited by Michael E Gerber? If they have, they might be more cautious about taking the plunge to self-employment or a freelance lifestyle.
Stuck prices requires a leap
Many years ago, I ran a software development house. I and a team of 4 other developers wrote and supported bespoke software for a range of clients. We were writing what would now be called an ERP system, without the finance bit.
Around the time my second son was born, over 12 years ago, the company finances were in dire straits.
What motivates me, doesn't motivate you
I was recently asked what motivates me, and what are the drivers I see that motivate others. It was a real gem of a question (thank you!) and has caused me to reflect further.
To overcome lethargy focus on promise
Improving productivity requires us to change what we are doing, and do things differently. As humans we resist change. We often like the idea, provided it doesn’t affect us.
How goods is your pit crew?
We have a new game at home, it’s the F1 game for the PS4. I live in a male-dominated household where my boys have picked up on my husband’s love of F1 and are equally addicted.
Are your processes explicit or implicit?
Within all businesses, various operations need to happen to deliver the goods or services to the end-user. In very few enterprises are these formally documented.
Do you have a team of sherpas?
One of the challenges of growing a business is ensuring that the staff you employ are as productive as you used to be when you were delivering the products or services. I know when I used to run a software company, we were never as productive once I stopped writing code. There are so many reasons why this might be the case, and one of these lies in the engagement of the people in the business.
The impact of price
An often overlooked lever in productivity is price. The measure of productivity is a value (£), so price plays an important part. Productivity is not the same as efficiency.