Productivity

A member of Richard's IT team is keen to expand her capabilities and is spending time on projects not formally within the scope of her job. Her supervisor sees this as a problem. But Steve Huxham's advice is to view this in the context of good talent management strategy.

Almost three out of 10 employees actively distrust the senior leaders in their organisation, a new survey has found, with serious consequences for staff retention, employee well-being and organisational performance.

Insomnia is costing the US economy some $63 billion a year in lost productivity, with every unfortunate sufferer costing their employer between $2,280 and $3,274 annually.

New research that has found taking time out of your working work week to do some exercise may lead to increased productivity - despite the reduction in work hours this entails.

This month, how laughing helps problem-solving, why you should use a matrix, an online tool to help you reach your goals, the power of smartphones and why it's never too late to achieve your life's ambition.

A new survey has found that fewer than half of employees regularly receive helpful feedback from their line manager and that what feedback they do get doesn't help them to do their jobs any better.

A new study has confirmed that workers who feel empowered by their employers have higher morale and are more productive, regardless of their industry, job role or even their culture.

A new survey of small business owners in the UK has found that the overwhelming majority view former-public sector staff as almost unemployable in the private sector.

A new study of customer service representatives has found that their mood when they start their work day has a significant effect on their perceptions of customers, how much work they do and how well they do it.

Once again, researchers have shown that the constant interruption of technology – be it an incoming email on your Blackberry, a text message or voicemail – is damaging to our concentration and makes us less efficient at our daily tasks.

The first thing Clive Palmer did when he bought a loss-making Australian nickel refinery in July 2009 was to raise the of pay of its employees and then ask them how to run the business. The results have been impressive – and so too Clive Palmer's generosity in return.

In case you hadn't noticed, human beings still have only one brain. Which is why our capacity for handling information has finite limits – and why the problem of information overload keeps getting worse.

All actions and attitudes displayed by managers have ripple effects. We can choose to value and build up our team members, or we can look for ways to elevate our own stature. Do you know which category you fall into?

Our capacity for handling information has not expanded commensurately with the information explosion. We still have only one brain. And our decision-making capacities still have limits as to how much they can handle. So we need to focus more than ever on what's really important to us and learn how to say 'no' without saying 'no'.

If you want to encourage somebody to be more productive without having to pay them more, try getting them to work among close friends who are more industrious than they are.

What have organisations learnt from the economic crisis about getting the best out of their people? Two contrasting examples suggest that while some have learned a lot, others are stuck in the same old rut.

Smart lazy people have a real edge over others. But productive laziness is not just about being lazy and avoiding unnecessary work. It requires something more - a powerful and magical combination of laziness and intelligence that leads them to find the easiest way to achieve what is required.

It's time once again for my "end-of-year list of recommended reads." These are books that have stood out to me as practical and useful. As always, it is a diverse list and I guarantee that valuable "golden nuggets" can be found in each of them.

Companies are increasingly blocking employees from accessing Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like citing concerns over security and productivity. But in building eWalls to keep out danger, organizations may also be keeping out knowledge.

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a multi-tasker, I've got news for you. When you multitask, you might think you're doing a lot of work, but you're not doing most (or any) of it well. Why? Because the brain can only concentrate on one task at a time.

Often, we could do that unwelcome task first thing in the morning but we say we'll do it later. However, as the day goes on there are more interruptions and more demands from others and it becomes more and more difficult to do what we've postponed.

There are two very difficult things to deal with as a manger. The first is hiring the right people. The second is firing someone. The the rule to live by here is to "hire slowly and fire quickly".

Can you put a cost on bad manners? Does politeness pay? According to a US business school professor, the answer is an emphatic "yes" – in fact the cost of bad behaviour can run into millions.

Seems there are people out there that won't work for an employer who won't let them access Facebook from the office. Let me explain what I think of that....

American unemployment may be at its highest point for more than a quarter of a century, but that doesn't mean managers are finding it any easier to hire people with skills they need.

The traditional slash and hack approach to surviving a recession is the perfect way to lose those talented employees who will be key to giving you a competitive edge when the upturn comes.

If you want your organisation to succeed over the long term, performance management needs to be much more than simply ensuring your team is ticking the boxes to meet targets.

Finisher is a term used in American football circles to describe a player who never lets up until that last whistle blows. Sports teams need finishers to successfully compete. Businesses need finishers, too. But how do you find and cultivate them?

One of David's employees generates around 30% of his company's sales. But she is a nightmare to work with, alienating colleagues and poisoning the atmosphere. Dan Bobinski suggests how to deal with the situation.

No one expects managers to be relaxed in the current environment. But under-pressure bosses who demand instant and unreasonable results are risking a backlash.

Despite the financial meltdown, many companies continue to claim that huge salaries and bonuses are essential to attracting and retaining talent. But the evidence suggests otherwise. Not only are people are not driven primarily by money, but the power of money can be deeply counter-productive.

It's official. The average manager spends far more of their time on admin and pushing paper around a desk than they do actually managing their people.

I'm just a lowly manager. The big things – like global economic melt-down - are out of my control. So I'm going to turn off the news for a while and focus on the little things that make a manager's life at work so complicated.

In most offices, the general rule is that you work twice as hard as the guy sitting next to you. Well, what if you aren't wired that way? What if you just happen to get your work done and want to take a little time to stretch and relax? Hey, what if you just want a normal life?

The UK is taking a turn back to the Dickensian era it seems. According to a survey from Vodaphone, more than one-third of UK businesses have banned social networking sites from the workplace.

It's official. Endless meetings and the constant deluge of emails really do drain most of us of the will to live, let alone work effectively.

Almost one in three executives who change companies – and one in five who move within the same organization – are not delivering, even after two years on the job.

Social networking sites are fast becoming public enemy number one in the workplace. In fact, if you believe everything you read in the media, it's a wonder that anybody does any work at all in between staying on top of their virtual social lives.

Lean Six Sigma is all very well, but it doesn't take into account intangibles. And ignoring things they can't be measured - like integrity, team spirit, dedication and loyalty - is downright dangerous.

If you are unhappy with someone's performance then you need to do something about it. Ignoring the problem isn't going to make it go away.

If you are unhappy with someone's performance then you need to do something about it. Ignoring the problem isn't going to make it go away.

A new study has suggested that those firms which adopt a comprehensive and consistent approach to people management perform better.

Feeling overwhelmed? Running just to stand still? What you need is not more hours in the day, it's just 15 minutes of contemplative down time that's reserved for you and you alone.

If you want to know how an apparently competent manager can preside over the destruction of team morale and productivity and the exodus of their best staff, this true story provides some salutary lessons.

It's not just sneezing or yawning that can be catching. Many managers perform poorly when trying to deal with staff who are difficult or not delivering.

How many times have you wished that you had more time? These eight time management tips can give you just that.

How many times have you wished that you had more time? These eight time management tips can give you just that.

How many times have you wished that you had more time? These eight time management tips can give you just that.

How many times have you wished that you had more time? These eight time management tips can give you just that.

They've been accused of taking more time off, crippling the healthcare system and being less likely to land a decent job. Now overweight Americans are being told they work too slowly.

Is your computer making you more efficient and productive or is it creating so much stress in your life that your brain no longer performs at its best?

Teams perform better when they are all thinking the same thing, new research has suggested, even if it is only to be in complete agreement that you are a dreadful manager.

More and more employers are disciplining social networking time-wasters, as it becomes clear the perils of sites such as Facebook go far leaving posting cyber dirt that might return to haunt you.

Burnout is a slow burn – a process, not an event. That's why it can be so difficult to acknowledge that it is affecting you. But when people are viewed simply as functions, burnout can be built into the very structure of an organization.

If you fancy sneaking in a little web surfing at work, the place to head to is Finland, where occasional surfing really isn't seen as a problem in the Finnish workplace.

Even organisations that acknowledge the vital role staff play in achieving success are failing to give them sufficient help and support to deliver to their full potential.

Talk about nice work if you can get it! In Japan, six civil servants have been caught spending their days working diligently – but not on their jobs.

Eight out of 10 managers are so busy running on the spot just managing that they have no time to step back, think about the bigger picture or plan for the future.

One in three British managers is so afraid to take time off work that they will drag themselves into the office from their sick-bed if they have to.

Constant pressure to increase efficiency and boost profitability is redefining the nature of work for millions of Americans. But it is also creating a demoralized, disengaged and far less productive workforce.