Is it worth higher productivity?

The relentless rise of technology and the willingness of men to experiment means we are likely to see a merging of mankind and technology over the next couple of hundred years - producing real cyborgs.  These will be highly efficient and productive workers.

You might think this is good for your business.

However,  the human race as we know it will eventually disappear - unless we stop this trend.

We have the technology to create the future.  Do we have an appropriate ideology to match?  Are enough people (other than science fiction writers) thinking about the issues, the dilemmas, the controversies, the principles that will help us govern and mange this change.

I don't think so.  It will probably just happen - in ways we don't want. And it will be our fault!

Dressing properly

More firms are allowing workers to come to the office in less formal attire.  does this have an impact on productivity?

There is little research on the issue.  The arguments seem to boil down to:

allowing people to dress casually makes them more comfortable, more relaxed and more content - and this has a positive effect on their performance.

encouraging people to dress formally means they wear a 'business uniform' which puts them in the right frame of mind - and this has a positive effect on their performance.

Perhaps we should just offer people the right to choose.... within certain limits of course.

It seems to be an irreversible trend, anyway - perhaps we are better just accepting the fact - until and unless we get some evidence to make us think again.

Think about your current policy - and whether it is counter trend and counter-productive.

Breaking out of the Vicious Circle

Nations are (quite rightly) urged to improve educational standards and attainments to help boost national productivity.  An educated - and skilled - workforce is a key underpinning of higher productivity.

This is actually a vicious circle (or cycle).  Low education standards results in lower productivity - and lower productivity results in less money to invest in education. And the cycle continues.

Nations have to find some way to break out of the cycle. And wealthier countries who provide aid to developing countries should focus a great deal of their efforts on education and skills.

Its the 'teach a man to fish' paradigm.

At the level of the firm, organisations must concentrate on upskilling and empowering their workers - to realise their maximum potential.  This is your responsibility.  if enough firms do this, the national problem is solved.

Creative Sparks

We know that teams that share values tend to knit together better.  A culture in which people 'get on' and work for each other is considered to be productive.

Yet, tension can provide creative sparks; competition raises effort; oysters need an irritant to produce pearls.

So, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Allow team members a degree of freedom in which to be 'sparky, create and encourage (friendly) competition and rivalry.

You will end up with a more creative workforce.