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Is productivity your answer to the 2020’s?

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Welcome to the Achiever Blog with Malcolm Gallagher and my thoughts on Productivity.

I noticed the Tory election slogan this week as Unleash Britain’s Potential. I grinned a bit as it is very like the slogans and marketing material by Tony Robbins one of the world’s top self-help gurus. One of his great books is Awaken the Giant Within and he often talks about unleashing potential.

He also has the slogan of:

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.

I think that’s appropriate to all of us in business especially as we move into what I believe will be both an exciting and challenging new decade.

I’ve launched my new programme Make 2020 Great here at bizvision.co.uk and Make 2020 Great is my slogan for the 2020’s. It’s important after all the chaos to re-awaken and re-energize. Much like the resurfacing initiative of Andy Murray.

But back to the Tory slogan of unleash Britain’s potential. It seems that we are being promised that everything will be wonderful once we leave the EU. But you are not daft – you can see that there’s no Disney fairy dust to instantly change things even if it is pantomime season!

One of my clients, Chris Kennedy, is a digital genius and also a very forthright Labour-leaning political thinker.

He said to me that he believes the underlying problem in the UK isn’t a lack of leadership but instead its low wages and flexible labour markets. Chris says, regardless of the election or Brexit, the long term problems are wages are going to go up, there will be lower immigration, plus even longer working hours. He says wages can’t be lowered, taxes or interest rates can’t be increased.

Chris reckons we will face a mirror of the 1970’s. He adds that the opportunity will be for businesses who can increase their wages AND their margins.

I told you he was a deep thinker! But he is right, isn’t he?

In my mind, the solution to unleashing potential lies in first tackling increased productivity. I reckon the big issue for the 2020s will be increased productivity

And that’s where your post Brexit business opportunity lies. How can you increase productivity – perhaps through implementing technology? If you are a coach or consultant how can you help clients increase productivity?

So how do you improve productivity?

Well, you start by stop running away from a deep inward dive on productivity. Too many business leaders are frightened of possibly rocking the boat.

They will persevere with old systems, traditional processes because everyone feels comfortable with that – we’ve always done it that way syndrome

Meanwhile, competitors, from anywhere in the world, will be sailing by them.

Sorry but change has to happen. Disruption is happening all around – just look at the high street.

My approach is to start with what I call a Productivity Audit. I use a scorecard approach in my Productivity Deep Dive Sessions to identify problems and opportunities.

Now, you may not like facing the productivity question,– and certainly, many of your people may be the same or even obstructive – but if you don’t address it then the lure of the lights of 2020 may not be shining so bright for you.

Over to you! As always let me have your thoughts or comments or ideas. Please email me mg@bizvision.co.uk or comment below.

 

Has the “C-Family” already left the UK?

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https://bizvision.co.uk Has the C-Family left?What am I talking about- well it’s a bit of a rant in one way or perhaps time for reflection in another.

The thing is I’ve been very dismayed with the Brexit chaos and especially in the abhorrent behaviour of many of our politicians. After nearly 75 of my weekly BrexFit podcasts I think I have seen and witnessed some atrocious conduct.

The C family – well I grew up with them – but I think they’ve had enough and left.  Who are they? Well there are 3 of them in the family and they are:

Courtesy

Civility

and Considerate

Courtesy seems to have left early. How many times do you do something for someone – like send them some information they have asked for – and you never get a reply or even a word of thanks.

It also annoys me of the hundreds of companies who don’t respond to job applications claiming they get too many. Don’t those companies realise that  those applying may be future customers?

It seems to me to be too much give me, give me, give me. I guess most of us learned our “please and thank you” from our parents so why are we becoming a discourteous nation?

Civility is simply being polite. I watch politicians in the House of Commons being uncivil. I think that then starts to rub off into everyday life where people think it is the norm to be abrupt. And there’s a big danger. Incivility in the workplace can have an impact on productivity and commitment to the organisation.

And the final member of the C family is Considerate. Being considerate is about being polite and caring. People like it when you’re considerate of their feelings. We could all probably be more considerate of others. Considerate means you’re thinking of other people — considering them — and then treating them decently and with respect. Yet look at how social media has spawned so many inconsiderate remarks. Some totally hostile. Yes, I am like so many others and get angry at things and dash off letters and emails. But I have learned to put that letter in the drawer overnight and not to send that email but read them again the next morning before probably not sending them!

So how can we tempt the C family back to the UK or is it too late? What’re your thoughts on my rant?

 

5 tips to Postpone Procrastination

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In this blog post, I’m bringing you my 5 top tips to postpone procrastination. Yes, I said postponing rather than say overcoming because, until you have embedded them, you’ll forever be postponing. In this fast-moving business age, Procrastination is a serious condition suffered by too many companies. And, unfortunately, it starts at the top! Does that resonate?  Here are the 5 tips:
  1. Stop waiting for the right urge. You don’t have to feel like doing something in order to get doing it. My suggestion is to just get working.
  2. Avoid last minute stress. Too many people put things off until the last minute in the belief that they work best that way. I suggest all that is doing is just putting additional stress on you and everyone who works with you.
  3. Do the difficult bit first. It’s easy to be tempted in doing the easy bits first but go for the difficult bit first and you’ll feel a better sense of accomplishment what will keep you motivated
  4. Chunk the job. For many years I felt that I had to do a big job al at once. Inevitably distractions interrupted and I kept having to restart. Then I started chunking my big job into smaller ones and I accomplished more.
  5. Don’t punish yourself. Far too many people punish themselves when starting a job late. They’ll do things like skip meals, take no breaks even fall asleep at their computer. Don’t do this it only makes matters worse. Don’t worry about the late start or, as someone once told me, forgive yourself and move on.
And a final warning about procrastination is the well-known saying “You may delay but time will not”. What will you do about these 5 top tips? Do you procrastinate or does a colleague? If you have any other postponing procrastination tips then Please email mg@bizvision.co.uk or comment below.

New “5 on Friday” video series starts today

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Now, every Friday, you can get reflecting, improving and developing with the help of the new 5 on Friday videos series presented by Malcolm Gallagher of the BizVision Network. Episode 1 is the 5 Things good leaders do. Are you achieving all of them? Click play to find out!

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