Greetings All!
After a short break, The Productivity Blog has now returned. If you have any comments or would like to contribute, please contact the Secretary of APS at secretary@a-p-s.org
Productivity Blog
World Productivity Day is coming soon!
Get ready everyone, World Productivity Day is soon to be upon us. June 20th has been chosen by the gurus of special days as World Productivity Day. Perhaps we have too many special days, but that is an individual opinion. Every year on June 20, World Productivity Day recognizes the importance of being productive and to learn how to increase productivity. Productivity is defined as the efficiency of production of … Continue reading
The Flaw Of Averages
Yes, this post will be primarily a copy of a Harvard Business Review (HBR) article. The article is the point of this blog. Over my decades in consulting, one of the major requirements in our niche was to insure that our clients received the savings we had forecast that they would achieve in a mutually agreeable manner. In the very beginning, when I started back in 1974, computers were not easily available or accessible as … Continue reading
Do You?
Do you procrastinate? I know I do it more often than I would like to admit. We all have a tendency to procrastinate. Very recently, I saw this photo in a LinkedIn post. To be legally clear, this is a billboard type advertisement by Nike. They are very famous for their “Just Do It” slogan. Now they have two and they have combined both into an even more … Continue reading
What are the most In-Demand Skills and Traits that a CEO should have?
Recently I have been doing a great deal of research for a Zoom Class that I am doing relative to the CEO role. Having reviewed literally hundreds of articles, I came up with the following list of Skills and Attributes that all CEO’s should theoretically have. This list came from me and the authors of the various articles I have read. The compiled list of 23 traits or skills, in no particular order, … Continue reading
JUST WHAT EXACTLY IS A SUPPLY CHAIN AND HOW DOES A LOUSY VIRUS SCREW THEM UP SO INCREDIBLY WELL!
Recently, I have had quite a few people ask me in the course of small talk, what exactly is this “supply chain” talk they are hearing about again regarding the Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus. They’ve heard the horror stories on toilet paper or disinfectants in many stores. Now we’ve heard of hoarders over-stocking their own homes or selling these products on the street corner at inflated prices. Many … Continue reading
ARE WE TEACHING THE RIGHT THINGS IN GRAMMAR SCHOOL?
It was decades ago that I was in grammar school. Things were significantly different then than they are now. Of course computers and smart phones were not even in our line of sight as they are today. I am not questioning the digital revolution one whit, as I believe it is integral to our growth as people, our growth as an economy as well as our growth globally. But I am dismayed by our departure from grammar school years of some of … Continue reading
GUILTY, AS CHARGED
August 7th was indeed my latest post. That was about 3 weeks ago. In the interim I have had some serious surgery. Hip replacement surgery of my right hip was completed on August 9th. All is good now and I am in recuperation. I had my first review with my surgeon this past Monday and he was very pleased. So, probably this Monday, August 30th, we will be starting up again. I just wanted to … Continue reading
FLIPPY, THE ROBOTIC FRENCH FRY CHEF
We keep reading of the lack of people in the fast food industry. This is due to the Covid pandemic, the pay rate and other external factors. Robotics has been hugely influential in the automotive and other manufacturing industries for some time. We have even seen it enter the serving industry with robots delivering food in restaurants and hospitals. But now meet Flippy, Flippy is the robotic french fry cooker that works 23 hours a day, … Continue reading
THE TRADITION OF THE FRENCH LUNCH
Yesterday, I posted a piece about reduced work hours and their effect on productivity and human performance. Also yesterday, I received from a very good friend his daily post on his blog, “In Deep Schiste” about the cultural tradition in France of the extended lunch break. Chris is a journalist formerly from the United Kingdom who now lives in southern France. These lunches are typically held from 12:30pm to 2:00pm. Other countries … Continue reading