Kiwis are well known for our good work ethic. According to the Productivity Commission we work more hours per week than the OECD average. But, alas, our output is lower. Or put another way, it takes us more time to produce the same amount as the average OECD country. Not ideal.
In simple terms, poor productivity contributes to the high prices we face and the long hours we work. Perhaps worse, our productivity is increasing at a slower rate than many other OECD countries.
So why is our productivity so poor? There are a number of reasons, but here are a few (that you can do something about). One is our “number 8 wire, she’ll be right” attitude. This often means that we don’t put the appropriate tools, systems, or process in place to improve our efficiency. While there is a multitude of affordable systems for automating repetitive administrative tasks, many businesses haven’t implemented these.
Another is our blasé approach to professional development. A former colleague had a wonderful factoid; the average business leader spends more on toilet paper in a given year than they do on their own professional development. Now maybe this is completely made up, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a decent element of truth to this.
So, what can you do? If you want to work less hard AND make more money, your productivity needs to increase. Two places to start are upskilling and using technology to make better use of your time.
Want to do something about this but not sure where to start? get in contact.