Posts Tagged ‘measuring worker productivity’

Is There Value In Measuring Performance?

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

The vast majority of important challenges and difficult problems that organizations have to solve in order to achieve increased workplace productivity are not overcome with more technology, huge investments in equipment, or savvy business strategies.  What really makes a difference is the efforts of the people who work far away from the limelight.  In essence, the key to achieving better business results and increased productivity is having competent, well-intended, and well-instructed people work closely with a coach who can guide them through the maze of expectations, competencies, and requirements needed to elevate their performance and drive value for the business and its customers.  Improving the bottom line and business productivity requires courageous coaches and leaders who will give their people honest feedback on each individual’s measures of effectiveness.

In order to accomplish these goals, leaders need to have the ability to define simple, meaningful productivity measures for each associate or worker, create visual or graphic individual scorecards, and regularly facilitate powerful conversations about the results the scorecards show.

Good, Better, Best xsmallThe individual productivity scorecard immediately begins to speak to the performer.  This productivity scorecard will help highlight the reasons for noticeable improvements in productivity as well as the root causes of any productivity shortfalls.  The scorecard becomes the source of motivation.  It can challenge people to do more, be more creative, achieve their potential, and become more committed to the organization.  With the help of a productivity scorecard and a coach who is willing to discuss and explore productivity-enhancing ideas, people will get excited and engaged about the challenge of improving productivity.  It is all about measuring performance and coaching people around what matters most.

What will drive a better bottom line for the business and create value for your customers as well?  CMOE team members are willing to talk with you and offer a free one-hour consultation on how our-productivity improvement process works, how we can combine effective leadership, coaching, feedback, problem-solving, and goal-setting skills to drive eye-popping improvements in the productivity of your business.

Workers Only Average Three Productive Days Per Week!

Monday, August 9th, 2010

Of those people who work an average of 45 hours per week, approximately 17 hours of their week is considered unproductive.   It’s not just one nation or geographical area, but this occurs globally.   The Personal Productivity Challenge conducted by Microsoft in 2005 sampled over 38,000 people in 200 countries, in 29 languages about their productivity.  The study was based on 18 statements about their working environment and has some unsettling findings.

• People work an average of 45 hours a week; they consider about 17 of those hours to be unproductive.

• More than half the participants, 55 percent, said they relate their productivity directly to their software.

• People spend 5.6 hours each week in meetings; 69 percent feel meetings aren’t productive.

• Only 34 percent said they are using proven scheduling tools and techniques to help them gain more free time and balance in their lives. Likewise, 60 percent said they don’t have work-life balance, and being unproductive contributes to this feeling.

• Women had an average productivity score of 72 percent, compared with 71 percent for men.

• The most common productivity pitfalls are unclear objectives, lack of team communication and ineffective meetings — chosen by 32 percent of respondents overall — followed by unclear priorities at 31 percent and procrastination at 29 percent.
(Source:  Microsoft Personal Productivity Challenge)

Improving productivity is like pulling money out of the garbage.If you are responsible for Profit & Loss, top line growth, cost management, or higher productivity, this study should have your attention.  What type of impact would it have on your organization if you could reclaim the 38% of vanishing productivity?  Most organizations would be able to increase profits, drive down costs, and simply get more done with existing fixed costs and resources.  Surprisingly, organizations can do this by implementing the right tools and processes that:

• Clarify and communicate goals of the organization in a way that is relevant to each individual.  This requires commitment, results based leadership and is the responsibility of leaders, managers, and supervisors.

• Links the contribution of employees to organizational goals and helps them see why they matter to the organization.

• Use communication, feedback and coaching to build motivation and commitment all while helping employee see how meaningful and engaging the drive for increased profits  and productivity can be.

Develop your people to be more productive and performance focused.