Productivity: Engaged, Equipped and Beyond

"Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
~ Will Rogers

That quote from Will Rogers caught my eye. Maybe it's because I measure productivity for a living, so I think about it all the time. What makes people productive? What keeps them moving in the right direction? And how can each of us learn to be more productive on the job - and in our lives?

When it comes to productivity, being on the right track is a good start. But that's all it is. Once you're on the right track, you want to keep moving. That means having the right engine, the right fuel and the right know-how.

In other words, good intentions may be required for productivity, but they're not quite enough.

Over the years, as I've been involved in measuring and improving productivity in workforces around the world, I've gained a few insights. In my experience, employees who are the most productive - regardless of the type of work they do - are more than just on the right track. In fact, these employees are:

• Engaged: Are your employees engaged in their work? Remember day one when the possibilities, the loyalty to the organisation and the determination to succeed seemed limitless? How much more productive would your employees be if they were as engaged on day 100 as they were on day one? There's a lot written about employee engagement, and I can't stress how critical it is to success.
  
• Equipped: Do your employees have the tools and resources they need to work effectively and efficiently? For example, imagine that you have to deliver one message simultaneously to 100 people across four different time zones. If you have email, that's a pretty easy task. If not, it could be a challenge, regardless of your motivation and commitment. All the good intentions in the world won't build a house unless the contractor is equipped with the right tools. Being equipped also means being well-trained. The most productive employees I see tend to work for organisations that provide effective "on-boarding," job training and ongoing development.
  
• Aligned: Are the work processes and systems in your organisation aligned with the jobs? Jobs can change over time based on the people who hold them. When one person leaves a position and another steps in, does the replacement have the same skills as his or her predecessor? Does the job description reflect the current duties of the position? If not, even engaged and equipped employees can become unproductive. That's a shame, especially when they want to perform. One solution is to conduct periodic "job description inventories" to ensure that each and every jobholder's capabilities match the job description.

Provide people with the right tools, resources and training. Make sure they can do what you're asking them to do. Frustration kills productivity. So make sure your employees aren't just on the right track, but moving in the right direction!

Sincerely,

 Bud Haney, President Profiles International