Benchmarking shows the art of the possible

When undertaking productivity assignments in some countries, it is surprising to find out how far performance and productivity is from that of the best performing countries snd organisations.

This in spite of the data that is available on the web, in specialists journals and even in general news.

One of the benefits of benchmarking is it shows ‘the art of the possible’.

If you can show organisation A that organisation X, in the same sector and of the same size, is performing much better, it is impossible for organisation A to say ‘it can’t be done’.  You have shown them it can be done.

So governments should establish some from of international benchmarking to show what their industry should be aspiring to - and then organise benchmarking internally in priority sectors to show lower performing organisations what they should be targeting.

For your part, you should try to benchmark your organisation or parts of it with your competitors.

It’s not rocket science, is it?

Can you answer these Questions?

 Do you know the real underlying causes of downtime and reasons for employee inactivity?  

Are you able to act on these causes in time to negate their effects?

If ‘yes’ to both, you have clearly got your solution and you are on the way to higher productivity.

If ‘No/‘Yes;, either you’re a liar or you’ve been very lucky.

If ‘Ye’/‘No’ you are half way there.  You have done the hard bit - understanding the problem.  Now you can work towards a solution.

If ‘No’ to both, you are in trouble. You need to uncover the real, root causes of downtime before you can fix the problem.  This is more than measurement. It takes subsequent analysis and thought.

But remember, it is very difficult to solve a problem that you don’t know about. 

Get Your Team Laughing

Managers who hear their employees laughing may be angry at the lack of discipline, at the lack of concentration, at the lack of serious effort.

Yet, laughter serves a variety of purposes in a work situation.

It is a good de-stresser, reducing anxiety , worry and tension.

It serves to bring people together, helping team bonding.

It helps create a relaxed atmosphere in  which innovation is more likely to thrive.

It acts as a mindfulness agent, anchoring people in the present in the moment.

Sp, find ways to make your staff laugh, not all day of course, but for odd moments when the laughter can do its job, cementing your team around the task in hand but relieving any pressure they feel.

Forget the Diet

 When we diet, we usually start with great enthusiasm and we probably have some initial success. We buy new foods and ingredients, try new recipes. We might go to gather gym more often band try out new exercises.

However, this enthusiasm soon fades and we start to ease up on the diet, the exercise regime starts to get boring and we don’t look forward to the new recipes and new foods.  What started off as being different and exciting is now the everyday, the commonplace.

We still want to reach our target weight (or size) but find it difficult to maintain the motivation and momentum. to keep the image of ‘the new me’ firmly in our sights.

Well, productivity is like that.  We often introduce new techniques, new approaches, new consultants and we get excited with the i results.  But then, like diet, maintaining the regime gets boring.

You need the vision of the new organisation to create an emotional response that can  fuel continuing effort.  The preferred future must be a strong vision snd must be communicated to, and shared by, all in the organisation.  This is what leadership is all about…. ensuring that everyone understands where the organisation is going and what it takes to get there. A shared vision based on shared values will help maintain momentum.  

You have to create it.