Change Must Be Sustainable

Lowering working  hours may give a quick boost but is not sustainable.

There have  been numerous reports lately of organisations cutting working  hours to increase  the engagement of employees, whilst paying the same salaries.  This is said to improve productivity.

I am somewhat skeptical of such reports - and of the projects that  generate them.

I am totally in favour of increasing  the engagement of employees but this has to be done in ways that are sustainable in the longer-term. We have to raise and then maintain engagement.  

This normally means changing the nature of the work and of working, and supervisory, relationships.

Just giving the same  money for fewer working hours may give a short-term boost but is not sustainable.  Remember the Hawthorne effect? (If you don’t, Google it.)

Of course, I could be proved wrong but I doubt it.

Think more carefully about what you expect people to do, how you engage with them and how you supervise and control them.

There are few productivity quick fixes.