#464  from Innovative Leader Volume 9, Number 4          April 2000

Blocks to Productivity
by Donald E. Wetmore, Ph.D.

Dr. Wetmore, from Shelton, CT, is a speaker and consultant on time management.  He can be reached at: phone (800) 969-377; fax (203) 9298151; email ctsem@msn.com; www.balancetime.com

Most people want to be productive. It makes sense. They will get more from life and so will their employer. Unfortunately, many factors creep in that block productivity.  Here are five common blocks.  If you are aware of them, you are less likely to be trapped by them.

1.  Improper selection.

When labor markets are tight companies may be tempted to hire anyone with a warm body and a pulse to fill a slot, rather than pay an adequate amount of money to recruit the right individual. No matter how tight a labor market is, there are always qualified people available if the compensation is fair. If you are baking a cake and you use the wrong ingredients, no matter what the reason, you will not produce the cake you desire.

2.  Inadequate training.

Each year, one out of three employees changes jobs. Companies that recruit poorly tend to train poorly as well. Training is not a one-shot enterprise, but an on-going investment to reinforce and advance skills and attitudes. Employers often get caught up in a vicious cycle. They recruit poorly, then fail to allocate sufficient training resources. ("Why spend the money when they won't be around for very long?") Employees' performance suffer, their satisfaction level is low; then they leave, giving the employer the opportunity to start the cycle again. Employers ought to treat employees as an investment rather than an expense.

3.  Overworked.

Reasonable people will accomplish a reasonable amount in a reasonable time period. But, you cannot put ten quarts of water into a five-quart container. There is nothing wrong with shifting work from former employees to those who remain. Our capacity to produce will sometimes be enhanced as we take on more responsibilities. But there is a limit. Being truly overworked helps people do a lot of things poorly. It may be more productive to ask them to accomplish fewer things productively.

4.  Poor alignment with goals.

Both the employer and employee have a life and a destination. If employees cannot align their job with the employer and with where their own goals, they will eventually seek a greener pasture. Do your employees see their position as a vehicle to get them to their financial, professional, and social objectives, or is their job an expedient trade of their time for a paycheck?

5.  Burnout.

Most people leave their jobs voluntarily and the major reason is "burnout." "Fed up! Can't take it anymore!" Unfortunately, burnout is not an overnight event but a gradual process, sometimes lasting months and years, during which time, productivity and commitment diminish. Burnout is caused in different ways but has a lot to do with items 1-4 above. Many employers fail to look for signs of burnout and if they don’t recognize the problem, there will be no opportunity to prevent, respond, or rectify.

So, do you recognize any of these blocks?  A good leader will work to prevent them.