Solving the Productivity Puzzle Book Summary - Solving the Productivity Puzzle Book explained in key points

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Solving the Productivity Puzzle summary

Name: Solving the Productivity Puzzle
Rating: 3.9 (143 reviews)
Author: Tim Ringo

Tim Ringo

How to Engage, Motivate and Develop Employees to Improve Individual and Business Performance

3.9 (143 ratings)

22 mins

Topics

Innovation Work Culture Leadership Talent Development Strategy Effectiveness

Table of Contents

Solving the Productivity Puzzle
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Learn about tools and techniques to help you solve the productivity paradox.

Over the last century or so, it’s become clear that when human productivity – the output of goods and services from labor – increases each year, both people and the global economy end up better off.

But human productivity hasn’t been increasing in line with the development of information communications technology. Yes, there have been some peaks, especially in the 1990s. But since 2004, economists have measured a declining – or at least flattening – rate of human productivity growth.

So why, in an age of technological advances, aren’t we also experiencing a golden age of human productivity? There are many reasons, but not all are equal. These blinks will help you and your organization address this productivity paradox, leading to productivity growth and greater prosperity.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

how “PEIP” will help your organization;
the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead; and
how to build a case for change.

The right job for the right person at the right time isn’t science fiction.

Investment guru Warren Buffett once said that, at some point in their lives, all people need to find jobs that will have them jumping out of bed in the morning – rather than just working at ones that’ll look good on their résumés. Isn’t doing otherwise, he asked, “a little like saving up sex for your old age?”

He’s right, of course. But if you’re like most people, you also need to worry about your mortgage, your kids’ school fees, your car payments, your student loan – and the list goes on. Life isn’t always easy, and a lot of things are just outside of your control. So it’s easy to get stuck in a rut in a less-than-perfect job and end up bored, disillusioned, and disappointed.

The key message here is: The right job for the right person at the right time isn’t science fiction.

The ancient Persian poet and philosopher Rumi postulated that everyone is born to do some specific kind of work, and that, as he put it, “the desire for that work has been put in every heart.” It’s a beautiful idea. But if Rumi was right, surely the job market would look different from the way it does today. So what would it look like, ideally?

Imagine a marketplace that matches your skills and motivations with the right job for you at just the right time and also balances resource supply and demand. The author calls that PEIP – that is, People Engagement, Innovation, and Performance. And the benefits that PEIP stands to bring not only you, but also society, are enormous.

Now add in AI and machine learning to make this marketplace even more efficient – putting the right people in jobs they love, and then working with technology to make those people more productive than ever before. Science fiction? Well, technology exists to make it happen today.

In the following blinks, you’ll find out more about the challenges ahead, productivity and PEIP, opportunities for the future, and how you can build a case for change.

Organizations face many challenges today – and will face more in the future.

How many employees are there in your organization? Surprisingly, when the author asks this at conferences, only 35 to 40 percent of attendees actually know the answer. And when they’re asked how many employees there’ll be in 18 months and what skills they’ll need, almost nobody knows.

Here’s the problem with that: It’s a universal law of economics that if the economy is to continue growing, human productivity must also increase every year. But the growth in productivity has remained poor for a number of years, despite advances in technology – that’s the productivity paradox, and it represents a huge challenge. But how can anyone tackle that challenge when so many lack knowledge of not just the present state of their business, but also its future needs? This question is even tougher to answer when you factor in the numerous other challenges that your organization and people are likely to face.

Productivity consists of three components: value, engagement, and innovation.

So what exactly is productivity?

For a lot of people, it's like art – they know it when they see it. Others prefer a strict definition straight out of the dictionary. In short, there are many ways to define productivity – but focus too much on nailing it down and you risk losing sight of not just what it is, but what it can be. This makes it hard to really consider your approach.

To get results, work smarter and implement PEIP.

Diminishing productivity is a complex challenge, but most people agree that for organizations to become more productive and remain competitive, they need to have a pipeline of new ways of thinking and innovative ideas. And it’s also becoming clearer that there’s a link between engaged employees and innovation.

The key message here is: To get results, work smarter and implement PEIP.

Five trends could turbocharge the future.

There’s a revolution going on: together, science, technology, and research are changing the world.

Quantum mechanics, for example, is creating opportunities for the creation of machines that will process information at rates impossible for the human mind to comprehend. And mapping the human genome has opened up the possibility of reversing aging effects or growing replacement body parts!

Develop a formal document that lays out your case for change.

Naturally, before implementing PEIP your organization will need to hear some details about why it’s a good idea. The relevant decision-makers will probably ask a lot of questions, such as What do you want to do, and why now? What are the outcomes? And What are the benefits – both qualitative and quantitative?

Ultimately, they need to understand the risks, challenges, and opportunities of implementing PEIP, as well as exactly how it’ll be done and how much it’ll cost – not to mention what it’ll cost them to do nothing. To answer these and other questions, you’ll need to create a formal document.

We all have a part to play in the PEIP work revolution.

Humans are not simple machines that produce stuff. And simple incentives – that is, carrots and sticks – don’t create behaviors that result in more stuff. Even if they did, that’s a pretty low bar to aim for. Instead, focus on the opportunity for a workplace revolution that creates engagement rather than drudgery. The goal isn’t just to change the way people work; as the author says, it’s “about society at large and how we live in it.”

There are challenges to achieving this goal, but also a clear way forward – one that involves everyone.

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What is Solving the Productivity Puzzle about?

Solving the Productivity Puzzle (2020) is a guide for people management professionals. It covers topics such as learning and development, motivation of the workforce, and planning strategies. It’s essential reading for HR professionals who want to build a culture in which people can thrive.

Who should read Solving the Productivity Puzzle?

HR managers interested in change programs
Those looking for the perfect job
Managers who want to improve their employee productivity

About the Author

Tim Ringo’s career in the HR consultancy and software business spans almost 30 years. He was vice president of SAP Success Factors for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and he’s now on the board and a non-executive director of Optunli, an HR solution that provides strategic workforce planning. He’s a conference speaker and coauthor of Calculating Success.

Categories with Solving the Productivity Puzzle

Corporate Culture Management & Leadership Productivity

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