Productivity

Lajtha BalázsBME TMIT

2014/03/14

Productivity

• Productivity is the ratio of output to inputs in production; it is an average measure of the efficiency of production.

Workforce productivity

• Workforce productivity is the amount of goods and services that a worker produces in a given amount of time.

Productivity

Norway

Irelan

d

Belgium

Denmark

German

y

Switz

erlan

d

Austria

Euro

area

Finlan

d

Canad

a

OECD To

talJap

an

New Ze

aland

Greece

Czech Rep

ublicKorea

Poland

Chile

Mexico

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

GDP per hour

Causes of low workforce productivity

• Low prices and wages• Low productivity sectors• Outdated technology• Poor management• Low individual productivity

Causes of low individual productivity

• Low prices and wages• Low productivity sectors• Outdated technology• Poor management

Causes of low individual productivity

• Personal problems• Low “energy” level, stress• Dissatisfaction• Lack of motivation• Inadequate communication• Inadequate resources and tools• Poor priority, time and task management• Distractions

Public enemy #1

Procrastination

Public enemy #2 - work

Norway

Irelan

d

Belgium

Denmark

German

y

Switz

erlan

d

Austria

Euro

area

Finlan

d

Canad

a

OECD To

talJap

an

New Ze

aland

Greece

Czech Rep

ublicKorea

Poland

Chile

Mexico

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

GDP per hourHours worked

Improving productivity

• Holistic problem• Symptoms can be treated

• Personal problems• Low “energy” level, stress• Dissatisfaction• Lack of motivation• Inadequate communication• Inadequate resources and tools• Poor priority, time and task management• Distractions

Improving productivity

• Personal problems• Low “energy” level, stress• Dissatisfaction• Lack of motivation• Inadequate communication• Inadequate resources and tools• Poor priority, time and task management• Distractions

Productivity guidelines

• Capture everything• Set aside time to plan• Prioritize• Limit work in progress• Reflect and improve

Productivity methods

• Managing time and tasks better• Offload brain, keep free space• Easy to follow systems• Huge gains with small overhead

Productivity methods

• Getting things done• Don’t break the streak• Pomodoro technique• The Action Method• Franklin Planner

Getting Things Done

• It’s hard to see the big picture• Focus on the day to day tasks• Weekly reviews to gain perspective

Getting Things Done

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.“

Mark Twain

Getting Things Done

• Manage tasks in lists– In: add anything that might be a task– Next (ASAP) actions: Something that can be DONE– Waiting for: Delegated actions– Projects: A goal that needs multiple actions– Some day: May investigate later

• Contexts: tag the actions with required tools, places, people, time

Getting Things Done

New ideaNew message In list Actiona

ble?

< 2min

> 1 action?

Next

Projects

Can I do it?

Important? Some day

Waiting

Drop it

Do it

Generatesubtasks

No, delegate

YesYes

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Don’t break the chain

• Habit forming1) Pick a goal2) Mark off the days on which you work toward

that goal.3) Use your chain of marked off days as a

motivator.

Pomodoro technique

• A time management method from 19801) Pick a task2) Set a timer for 25 mins3) Focused work until timer rings4) 5 min of break, longer after 4 pomodoros

The action method

• Leave every meeting, conversation, email with actions.

• Action = what, who, when?

Franklin Planner

• Daily and weekly planning pages• Task list: daily, master• Appointment schedule: daily, weekly, monthly• Notes• Goals tab

Franklin Planner

• Not to be confused with Filofax

Extreme methods• Don’t use a calendar, never set a meeting• Don’t meet with people• Block time• Don’t reschedule: delete!• Go analog

Goals of productivity apps

• Save time• Reduce stress• Offload brain• Improve life quality• Reduce noise• Help find order in chaos

Good productivity apps

• Focus on frequent tasks• Form habits• Reduce complexity or speed up task execution• Multiplatform, synchronized• Seamlessly embedded• Make the user pay!

Making money

• Go for the tablets• Base your business model on service

subscription• Target more expensive hardware

Making money

• Go for the tablets

LAME SEXY

62% of knowledge workers preferto use a keyboard with their tablet

Thank you for your attention!