Japan has a new government initiative to boost the adoption of intelligent machines and robots - as part of a drive to improve industrial productivity.

However, this has other benefits as well.

Mechanised workplaces are generally more suitable for female workers and for workers with disabilities - so improving automation supports greater workforce diversity .. and that provides another route to greater productivity.

So, think about what you can do to make your workplace more attractive to, and more suitable for, a wider range of potential workers.

If Music Be....

Companies have long used music to set rhythm for production lines - and to boost morale of employees.  

Now a new study by the University of Illinois confirms that people do respond - positively in productivity terms - to music.

They suggest however that instrumentals are best - words can  interfere with language "tasks" which are part of the work.

Similarly,  music is more effective if it has a constant, easy beat and a light melody.

A report in the journal Neuroscience of Behavior and Physiology states that the Russian Academy of Sciences found that a person's ability to recognize visual images, letters and numbers, is much faster when either rock or classical music is playing in the background.

So -turn on, tune in.How and where can you use music to aid performance.

Structure

On the Internet, you get lots of tips about productivity - and what are called ' productivity hacks' (really just more tips).

However you and I know that what brings about higher productivity is structure - to organisations, systems, processes, working methods - structure based on an analysis of need and then an identification of how that need can be best met.  This can take time - but it will be rewarded and will be much more effective than trying to apply the latest 'hack'.

Think about building a building. You need form foundations and sound construction. Productivity is similar. Take the time to structure the 'edifice' soundly.

Your job is to build the structure that can underpin higher productivity.

The Secret to ...

Lots of blog posts start with those words in the heading.  they purport to offer you a 'secret' - some bit of knowledge or some little 'trick - that will transform how you think about a particular issue or how you will perform a particular task.

Well, my 'secret' to dealing with such 'secrets' is ...  to ignore them.  They do not exist.  

We all look for panaceas - for the next 'secret' - but the true 'secrets' involve lots of hard work and effort.  There are rarely short cuts to success.

So ignore all these 'secrets' - unless they come from me, of course.