PRODUCTIVITY ... IT'S THE KEY

Productivity is the relation of output to input. In simple terms, the more output we generate in any given period of time, the more productive we become.

The agricultural and industrial revolutions allowed us to achieve quantum leaps in productivity improvement.

Today the technology revolution continues with the amazing possibilities of the internet age.

But productivity hasn't been embraced everywhere. Not in schools or government, as examples. For that matter, not at hidebound union represented work places either, such as Hostess.

For that reason alone, 4 Must-have job skills in 2013 should be required reading for all:

"Even as employers remain cautious next year about every dollar spent on employees, they’ll also want workers to show greater skills and results.

For employees who want to get ahead, basic competency won’t be enough. To win a promotion or land a job next year, experts say there are four must-have job skills:

 

Clear communications

Whatever their level, communication is key for workers to advance.

“This is really the ability to clearly articulate your point of view and the ability to create a connection through communication,” says Holly Paul, U.S. recruiting leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting and consulting firm based in New York.

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For job seekers in particular, clear communication can provide a snapshot of their work style to employers. “I can walk away from a five-minute conversation and feel their enthusiasm and have a good understanding of what’s important to them,” Ms. Paul says.

As office conversations increasingly move online, some workers are losing or never developing the ability to give a presentation, for example. Others may be unable to write coherently for longer than, say, 140 characters.

“Technology in some ways has taken away our ability to write well. People are in such a hurry that they are multitasking,” and they skip basics such as spelling and proofing, says Paul McDonald, senior executive director of Robert Half International, a Menlo Park, Calif., staffing firm.

 

Personal branding

Human-resources executives scour blogs, Twitter and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn when researching candidates, and it’s important that they like what they find.

“That’s your brand, that’s how you represent yourself,” says Peter Handal, CEO of Dale Carnegie Training, a Hauppauge, N.Y., provider of workplace-training services. “If you post something that comes back to haunt you, people will see that.”. . .

 

Flexibility

The ability to quickly respond to an employer’s changing needs will be important next year as organizations try to respond nimbly to customers.

“A lot of companies want us to work with their employees about how to get out of their comfort zone, how to adapt,” says Mr. Handal. “Somebody’s job today may not be the same as next year.”

The ability to learn new skills is of top importance, says George Boué, human-resources vice president for Stiles, a real-estate services company in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “We want to know that if we roll out a new program or new tools that the folks we have on board are going to be open to learning,” he says.

 

Productivity improvement

In 2013, workers should find new ways to increase productivity, experts say. Executives are looking for a 20% improvement in employee performance next year from current levels, according to a recent survey by the Corporate Executive Board, an Arlington, Va., business research and advisory firm.

“When you are at your job, do you volunteer for projects? Are you looking for creative ways to help your organization,” Mr. McDonald says. “The way to really differentiate yourself is to be proactive.”

Companies that are considering adding workers in coming years want current employees to operate in growth mode now. “My clients are looking for employees that have a great ability to understand what is wanted and needed, rather than needing to be told,” Ms. Haberfeld says."

SUMMING UP

Consider this example of productivity. If we are able to improve the quality and quantity of our output by 20% and decrease the input by 20%, we get a 50% gain in productivity.

In simple math, 120 (output) divided by 80 (input) equals 150%, or a 50% gain compared to 100 divided by 100, representing the status quo.

It's as easy as 1-2-3.

1 - In a broader sense, productivity is what makes a society, company, school system or government "rich." Doing as much in less time or doing more in the same time. The double whammy occurs when we do more in less time. Technology combines with human ingenuity, innovation and entrepreneurialism to make that happen. Doing old things in new ways, in other words. E-mail instead of snail mail is an example. ATMs are another. And so forth.

2 - Specialization is what allows us to be more productive. In other words, when we're able to focus on doing one thing really well, we improve quickly and continuously. That increases output in relation to input.

3 - Trade is what allows us to specialize. The bigger the market, as in global markets or growing domestic markets, the more opportunity to specialize.

Productivity improvement is enabled by trade in big markets, which is enabled by specialization, which is what enables us to become more productive.

But first, we have to internalize the need for continuing and rapid INCREMENTAL improvements, as well as QUANTUM LEAPS enabled by new or disruptive changes in how we do things.

It's all so simple. That said, we need to find new ways to get all employees, unions and government entities on board the U.S. productivity train.

That's the only way to recapture our historical place as the leader in the world's marketplace, including education.

Both by being the best at what we do and by doing more of that in less time.

Growth by shrinking, in other words. It's not that hard if we all will just try.

Thanks. Bob.