It is getting harder to run a business for a profit. We are faced with rising costs, lowered demand etc. Our businesses have to be super effective just to keep up.
But:
* How many more benefits are possible?
* Will pay increases increase effectiveness?
* Do more benefits really cause workers to produce more?
Well there is a way to increase productivity without increasing your Overhead.
We deal with doctors every day. And the number one complaint the doctors get from their patients is that their job is making them sick. And they aren't far from the truth.
No I'm not saying YOU are making them sick. Their work environment is making them sick.
Examples:
1. We had one office where the bosses turned off the air conditioner at 5PM on Friday. They turned it on Monday at 8AM. All the workers were sick until noon on Monday.
That's 10% of the work week was spent doing nothing but sitting around complaining.
We asked the bosses to leave the air handler on over the weekend. NOT the air conditioning, just the fan. This was to keep the air moving through the HVAC filter. The stuff the filter kept out of the air was causing workers sinuses to hurt. It was giving everyone a headache.
Under the old cost cutting procedure ( turning off the HVAC), it was taking till noon for the filters to catch up to the air quality level it was on Friday at 5PM. When the levels did reach that point everyone felt better and work continued.
But now the problem was eliminated! The bosses got an immediate 10% increase in work without paying a penny for it. Sure they used 50 cents more electricity. And some bosses will gladly lose $1,000's of dollars in work to save 50 cents in electricity. But some people don't care if the business makes a profit as long as they LOOK like they are cutting costs.
This isn't the only example of how the health of a building cuts worker efficiency/effectiveness.
2. We had one business where the walls were covered with mold, especially behind the pictures and calenders.
Everyone bickered and complained about headaches etc ALL week long. Management was constantly talking to someone from the Union about some complaint or another. Workers were constantly taking sick leave. Employee clumsiness was costing a fortune in copying machine and other mechanical repairs.
After cleaning up the mold, the workplace turned into heaven.
The point of this article is that the work environment has a direct effect on worker productivity. Don't hire more workers, take care of the workers you already have. Give them a clean healthy place to work. And just changing janitors won't help.
For 30 years, Dr Graham has been helping people treat and prevent disease by showing them how to live in a clean environment. http://www.tennesseemold.com DrGraham@themoldlab.com
Avoiding inert measures that anaesthetise your performance management.INTRODUCTIONYou sit before... Read More
Ethics - in a profession or trade - is that... Read More
At one time or another, all of us have experienced... Read More
Effective leaders are known for being excellent communicators. Here's what... Read More
Speak of operations assessment, and we'll hear its significant value.... Read More
A trainer dryly discussing how to motivate people in an... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Today's successful organizations are the ones which carry on open... Read More
Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people... Read More
Many HR managers believe that by sending their workers to... Read More
Fundamentals in Place? There is a designated place for everything... Read More
Many organisations use the term "lessons learned" to describe the... Read More
How you run your business is, of course your business.... Read More
I recently received a most interesting phone call.When I answered... Read More
One of the most difficult tasks you will face as... Read More
Everyone wants to describe themselves as a leader. Everyday, new... Read More
How do you, or would you, communicate with employees who... Read More
This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates... Read More
When you first take over a department, expectations are usually... Read More
Management or Leadership?Simply stated, management ensures that things get done,... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at... Read More
There is no substitute for soliciting the opinions of the... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but... Read More
Lack of Operations Manuals stunting your growth?CONTENTS:1. Do you lack... Read More
This is a challenge for every company owner and manager.... Read More
Too many managers waste both time and energy performing tasks... Read More
Managers who aren't loyal to their people can't expect loyalty... Read More
The point of a quality improvement program should not only... Read More
Human communication is always three-dimensional. No spoken or written message... Read More
There is a growing movement in the spiritual... Read More
You've hung out your shingle and are ready for business.... Read More
Life can sometimes be unexciting if not refreshed by the... Read More
We all see it . . . business markets are... Read More
You, the Entrepreneur, are 'normally' a type-A individual. One who... Read More
Okay, be honest!Are you guilty of sticking in a few... Read More
"Must Project Managers be technically savvy?" This topic always seems... Read More
I have always said that if I were to write... Read More
Telecommuting or virtual work opens up a wider net of... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
(prez.un.TEE.iz.um) nPresenteeism, a relatively unknown concept, is the complement of... Read More
In the bestseller, Good to Great, Jim Collins discovered that,... Read More
The Best Workplaces report (Financial Times, April 28, 2005) notes... Read More
Researchers have undertaken numerous studies to look at the connection... Read More
'Goodwill' is regarded as an intangible asset in a business.... Read More
Human beings and the way they interact are extraordinarily Complex.... Read More
Of the many areas in international business where cultural differences... Read More
Okay, so you've figured out what kind of meeting is... Read More
In today's chaotic world and uncertain economic times too many... Read More
Business Management Business Management |