Member Article

Workplace experts reveal how to improve UK productivity

The theme of Advanced Workplace Associates’ 2015 Workplace Week Convention, now in its sixth year, was ‘Joining the dots …putting the workplace at the heart of UK productivity’… and those dots were certainly joined at KPMG’s Canary Wharf Auditorium this week. The impressive programme of discussions, featuring six truly inspirational workplace experts, genuinely broke new ground in helping business leaders across the country understand the real story behind the UK’s productivity woes and the link to culture and the management of the workplace.

The Convention addressed an array of topical issues and posed a series of thought-provoking questions – the central one of which was: what can we do in the workplace to improve the productivity of people and organisations?

Before tackling the answers to this question, CBI’s Ben Jones revealed some truly shocking data about the state of British business output, compared to the likes of the US, France and Germany. As you may expect, the UK’s productivity levels have been quite bad since the credit crunch – ‘quite bad’ actually meaning the worst it’s even been since 1991.

If, as Jones states, ‘productivity is at the heart of the success of the UK economy’, then we really do need to do something about it… So, what can be done?

Well productivity in the manufacturing, automotive, energy and aerospace sectors has been going up steadily for years and is in line with most developed nations. It’s in the service sector that we have the poorest productivity in sectors like Banking and Insurance where output per head has been slow to grow.

Well, Jones suggests that our Government focuses on select and support innovative and growing firms in these sectors to raise the bar on all the others; more needs to be done to support companies that have rapid growth potential - separating the wheat from the chaff as it were.

Most importantly, businesses themselves need to raise productivity levels. This, if done correctly, will prompt a much more immediate increase in performance and success.

How?

The panel of business experts state that there are various ways of increasing staff performance. First and foremost, managers need to create meaning and purpose for each and every member of staff. It’s all well and good sifting through endless spreadsheets of financial data but business leaders need to remember that a company is only as good as the people it employs. Now, more than ever, British businesses need to put the human back to into the workplace; individuals should be engaged, encouraged and supported. It’s about tapping into the workforce’s potential; and that’s impossible if organisations do not allow their workforce to connect and work collaboratively.

Andrew Mawson, a founding director of AWA and director of AWA’s Cognitive Research programme, believes the effectiveness of every single human being on the payroll must be the priority; the brains of our people need to be in the best possible shape every day to improve performance.

Right then; how do we put the “POW” into brainpower? What does AWA’s latest workplace science say?

Well, it begins with a good breakfast. Seriously. Food and drink play a massive part when it comes to getting the most of employees; companies should encourage regular breaks in the pursuit of a well-nourished and hydrated workforce.

Being stuck at a desk for however many hours a day is not conducive to a happy (let alone productive) worker. Fit people tend to have more brainpower so encourage as much physical activity as possible – even if it’s just opting for the stairs instead of the lift.

Educate your workforce about the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep. And there’s a lot to be said for a power nap. We’re not suggesting every single business invests in sleep pods but it’s important to remember just how important sleep is, especially for those jobs requiring a high level of concentration.

Avoid distractions. Easy said, we know – but if there’s a way to use the space so you have distraction-free zones, do so, and create a ‘non-interruption policy’ while you’re at it.

To summarise; businesses need to encourage every individual on the payroll to be at their ‘cognitive’ best every day and to increase the conditions for collaboration every day in order to create a trusting environment in which ideas can flourish. Business leaders need to focus on the individuals – and figure out ways to get the most out of each and every brain. If we do that, then we’ll see British productivity levels soar.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jo Sutherland .