Stagnation hurts productivity

accomplishing something significant.
I mean the satisfaction that comes with completing that task, that sense of “I did that” as you take a breather to proudly look back on your accomplishment before embarking on the next task.
The idea that you are moving forward is a powerful motivating factor in your life.
No one likes to feel that they are stagnating. Stagnation is a major de-motivator.
If your staff feel like they are not moving forward, that they are not making progress, their performance will suffer.
It does not take a lot of movement to prevent a pool of water from becoming fetid, murky and life choking.
The smallest trickle of water through it is enough to keep life and productivity happening. Progress does not have to be huge to inspire, it just has to be there.
To feel you are making progress there has to be a goal. Not just any goal but a quantifiable target. Being “more efficient” does not really work as a goal. What does efficient look like for you?
Deadlines, turnaround times and wastage levels can be measured as efficiency. Each can be improved on.
When you have a scoreboard everyone can tell what the score is. One of the advantages of project-based management is that it is easy to measure progress. You can see how far along the road to completion you are and adapt accordingly.
Not only is a scoreboard important, but it is critical to measure what matters.
I love modern sports broadcasts. Statistics are thrown up routinely. Possession, time, number of turnovers, shots on target, shots off target, direction of play, frequency of passes, number of interceptions, speed of ball are all tossed up on the screen bombarding us with an idea of how the game is progressing.
The one thing that is often left out is how much of this is really relevant to the final score.
Does increased possession time really turn into extra goals (it makes sense that it might, but does it really?)
If it does not then stop telling me about it because it does not change the outcome. Measure things that matter.
In the same manner do not over-measure. Pick the basics and run with them. Too many statistics will give you a headache and overload your staff in a manner akin to giving them too many things to do.
Project-based management allows for internally derived, project specific goals to be created.
Ownership of a project by allowing staff to have a say in goal setting and measurement is promoted.
Allow enough time for changes in strategy to be measured. Phil gets to work on Monday to find that head office have changed the structure of the organisation.
His new role excites him and he sets up a series of tasks to achieve over the next three months in pursuit of company goals.
On Friday he gets a call from the head of human resources, he is being relocated to another department next week.
Once again he sets goals within the new department. One month later a change in company policy and vision sees him having to reset the bar again.
Two weeks after that he gets summoned to a meeting where his role is redefined.
One week later he resigns. Shifting the goal too often becomes frustrating and counter-productive for employees.
Change will always be necessary, but change too often and you will get nowhere.
Rather than behaving like a child in a candy factory, bemused by every new concept that comes your way, allow time for ideas to be implemented and to see if changes work. The worst part of any long journey is when a breakdown occurs, when you are standing by the side of the road going nowhere while someone tinkers under your hood.
The frustration as others roar past choking you, leaving you engulfed in exhaust fumes is born out of a lack of progress towards your destination.
Humans desire to keep moving forward, creating that environment enhances productivity.
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