The Changing Face of Productivity: 3 Considerations

On a daily walk last week, I overhead two people chatting as I passed them on the walking path. From the snippets I heard, I concluded both were white collar professionals (likely executive) and (still) working from home. One was recounting a recent Board discussion about productivity, which had dropped 60% in some areas of the business because of COVID.?Everything I’d read until that point suggested the opposite – that productivity was overall higher in most industries. But it got me thinking, and talking to people in business about what was really happening. It became apparent that every business and every industry experienced something different.

Even the research wasn’t consistent. An Australian National University study revealed productivity was down, by a lot, with Australians losing 167 hours of work from March to October last year. In fact, the equivalent of $5,000 for each of us in lost work, and $47 billion for the whole economy. Yikes. Yet other studies suggest productivity remained stable across the US economy, with productivity even increasing in many companies.

What does productivity look like today?

It seems the effects on productivity depend on the company, and the industry. Some have remained remarkably productive, capitalizing on the latest technology to collaborate effectively and efficiently. Many, however, are less productive than they were 12 months ago.

And while it’s probably still too early to really understand the final impacts of COVID-19, for many organisations there were and are some key fundamentals that should be considered (if that process hasn’t already started). In most cases, productivity doesn’t mean working longer hours. It means finding ways to produce stronger value in the same amount of time. And it starts with redefining what productivity looks like, and considering key productivity factors. Here are 3 that spring to mind.

1.??????Redefining productivity – for all

The complexity of the environment in which we now work makes redefining productivity challenging. However, understanding what productivity looks like in your business is a major step in supporting your people, and the bottom line, as we move into our ‘new future’. Consider how you would define productivity for your team – is this different from pre-COVID times? Discussing productivity with your team and truly listening for their hurdles and challenges can be extremely helpful in understanding the landscape (which for many has ‘landed’ without the strategic planning we’re used to). Individual performance matters aside, are your teams hitting their ‘normal’ key lead or lag measures? Are you monitoring all factors available to you like revenue, profit, quality and customer satisfaction? And sharing this information with your team? Remember, the most effective solutions often come from the field.

2.??????Leading differently in a new environment

It can be easy to continue on our comfortable way in a leadership role, doing what we’ve always done because that formula worked. Yes ‘worked’, in past tense, because the most successful leaders understand that new thinking and new ways are required. Leaders must embrace and model remote working and create purposeful team and working interactions. And balance micro management with efficient allocation and completion of tasks. Enable high productivity by ensuring resources and platforms are suitable, and allowing time for teams to adjust. This includes leaders embracing new technology, and even reviewing rules around what once wasn’t ‘allowed’. Work with team members to support what high productivity means, recognising that the new standard will be unique to individuals. Consider tools, level of autonomy, own environment, balance and wellbeing. And remember productivity is NOT measured in hours at the desk.

3.??????Monitoring productivity with equity and understanding

I’ve known many leaders who opposed flexible working arrangements. Often this came from a place of control, trust or fear. If they couldn’t see with their own eyes that the team was ‘putting in the hard yards’ they didn’t trust they would. While those leaders have been forced to adjust, it can still be tricky to balance employee autonomy with monitoring individual productivity and collective effort. Online shared team project tools are a good way to monitor work outputs, focussing on productivity rather than time at the desk.

Communication via pulse checks can be effective to check-in and offer support or guidance as needed. And removes the need to constantly check-in, which can quickly become cumbersome for some. As I discussed in blogs on psychological safety last month, create an environment where your team feels safe and their wellbeing is at the forefront of any work activity asked of them.

It’s important to remember that the rate of change over the past 12 months has been significant. Like it or not, that change is here to stay for many of us. That means we have to think differently about how we work – starting with productivity into the future. And accepting that productivity may not present itself in the same way it did a year ago.?A new mindset is required to support different outcomes, not worse outcomes. Leading with a growth mindset – think agile, lean and flexible – is critical to stay ahead of the game. We’ve seen a new way, and people are adapting faster than we previously gave them credit for.

About the Author

Ainsley Jeffery is co-founder and director at www.noacoach.com