But how much time do we actually waste?

Late last year a survey by UK based Management Consulting Group found that next to Portugal, Aussies waste the most time at work. They calculate it as being 45 days on average per year. Holy moly - 45 days! In a 7.5 working day, this number represents around 20% of our work time. Let me quote some other unbelievable statistics from this global survey:

• In 6 countries where statistics allowed comparisons, the estimated economic cost of wasted time was 5-9% of GDP (gross domestic profit) - between US$11 billion to US$658 billion.
• the % of GDP lost to inefficient working durng 2005 and 2006 was highest in Australia at 8.9%.
• Next worse was the UK at 6.9%
• Despite Australia’s high level of wasted time, it is in the top 2 locations for highest labour productivity for the for years between 2003 to 2006.

So while our productivity stats are among the best in the world, clearly there is considerable room for improving processes.

So often cost cutting measures focus on reducing heads. These figures clearly show that sorting out how we work could improve productivity significantly, and create sustainable bottom line improvements without the need to let valuable skills walk out the door.

I know where I’d be looking if reducing cost was an issue is my business.

A recent survey by Talent2 found that 67% of Australians admit to working more than 40 hours on a regular basis, and 45% said they were working harder than they did 2 years ago.

Construction and engineering are the hardest industries hit, followed by property, legal and HR.

Combine this with responses from another survey by Talent2 that found:

Nearly 25% of Australian workers are sick of giving their boss a free ride and would prefer to work on a contract basis, demanding they are paid for the work they do.

If we feel undervalued in or jobs - that we have to work harder and harder but for no additional reward - then the consequences are obvious. People will focus on the financial aspects of their employment, rather than any other benefits that might be on offer.

The whole case for engaging employees rests on fair reward for effort. Take that away and you get a workforce fixated on wage increases and hours worked. You can also kiss goodbye to any efforts to reduce the “us versus them” divide between management and employees.

The message - pay people fairly, especially if you want your pound of flesh - or else ensure people can work to a reasonable number of hours per week (by their standards not yours!).

In his words - ” I just don’t know what they are doing. We seem to have no direction, and I have no confidence that they (management) know how to change things”

I think we’ve all been in this situation. My question is this. How often should you feel like this before you start to think about moving on?  There’s no doubt we all have frustrating days - days when nothing goes right or we feel like we are pushing a heavy load up a steep hill.

I think there’s two things you can do. Well, actually there’s 3 things - but the first one gives you a lousy outcome, so why choose it?

1. Do nothing. Continue to complain and undermine management when they aren’t around. Never say what you think or feel and reinforce the “us versus them” mindset so typical in companies (can you tell - not my preferred option??)
2. Recognise where you head’s at and decide to do something about it. It’s easy to feel hard done by - not as easy to initiate a conversation with your manager about your concerns and voice what’s going on for you. It might  be that your manager(s) haven’t been communicating the reasons for their decisions and actions. They may actually appreciate knowing that they aren’t doing enough in this area, and start to keep the business informed more regularly.  This is a great outcome for all parties.
3. If you have done option 2, but nothing has changed, then you have some thinking to do. If you believe that ultimately this is a short term issue, or that the situation will improve, then staying put is definitely an option. Then again, if you don’t get that feeling, perhaps it’stime to move on to another company which is more aligned with what you want.  Lisa over at Management Craft has something to say about this as well - Check it out on her blog:  So Go Already

Ultimately, we each choose what we take to work each day - and that includes our attitude. So if we decide to stay where we are, then we can choose to adopt a constructive outlook, one which doesn’t sit back passively but becomes an active and positive influence on the culture.

1943 Guide to Hiring Women

I’m pleased to say the book of interview questions - The Interview Question Bank - has now been finished and is available for download from the site.

The book contains behavioural questions for 44 different competencies which can be applied to most roles in most industries. It also has a bit of an intro on the behavioural interviewing process, and how to use it.

Follow the link below to check out the table of contents and a page from the Book so you can see what you’re getting. It’s an electronic book, so you can download it immediately. Check it out here.

After interviewing 110 of Australia’s finest leaders (from non-profit, SME, corporate and government) she identified 9 characteristics that these leaders believed “made” effective leaders:

Great leaders……

1. have an appetite for learning and development - they see it as a core focus, not the first thing to be cut when money gets tight
2. are change enablers - they are comfortable with change themselves, and can lead others successfully through it
3. coach people - they understand that their most significant contribution is transforming and developing others
4. are great communicators - they listen more than they speak
5. have courage - they do the right things not the popular things
6. have integrity - which is on view for others
7. inspire and motivate people - they show how things could be, not how they are
8. lead by example - they provide personal evidence that they are committed to doing what they ask others to do
9. value diversity - they don’t look for carbon copies of themselves, they look for people who will challenge their thinking and the status quo

You can read the detail of these interviews in Avril’s book - Leadership Revelations.

You are not alone. The topic of human motivation has been studied for hundreds of years. So it’s a topic we know a lot about. Unfortunately it’s not often taught to managers as part of their training.

There are things you can do to influence how much energy people are willing to put into their jobs. Below are 5 critical things to know about motivation.

1. We can’t motivate other people

Motivation is not something we ‘do’ to others. It has to come from within. All we can do is create an environment which encourages motivation. So to some extent we are let off the hook. Our responsibility as managers only goes so far –after that, it’s up to the individual to get on board.

2. Some people just won’t ever be motivated

I think we all know the truth of this. Some people are just in the wrong space, and have no interest in being part of a team, or working any harder than they absolutely have to. It can be very difficult to manage the performance of these individuals, particularly if they are doing just enough to get by. Usually the solution is to include behaviors and attitudes as part of required performance. Then their attitude becomes a tangible performance issue which can be coached and managed through the performance review system.

3. One size definitely does not fit all

The fun thing about motivation is that we are all different, so you need to employ multiple strategies and approaches. Different generations, different stages of life, different needs from a career – these are all things that will influence what people desire as a motivator during their lives. The best way to find out what will motivate people is to simply ask them. Most people will happily tell you. And if you’re looking for some ideas – here are 8 to get you started:

1. Flexible working hours
2. Training opportunities
3. A work-related challenge
4. Public or private recognition
5. Opportunity to work from home
6. Updated technology
7. Vouchers for movies/dinner
8. An opportunity to be rewarded for exceptional performance

4. Management style makes the difference

People don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses. If individuals in a team seem to be lacking in motivation, the style of the manager is one of the first places to look. People don’t respond to being told what to do (well, not for very long), so authoritarian, controlling, elitist and dictatorial styles will lead to unmotivated and despondent employees. Developing a collaborative style is crucial to creating an environment that encourages people to be motivated and engaged. Most manager’s are completely unaware of the impact they have on others, and usually overestimate their skills. So get your manager’s some training and support them as they learn the skills and mondsets they need to have a positive impact rather than a negative one.

5. Boring jobs make people switch off

Some jobs by their nature are pretty repetitive and boring. Do what you can to bring interest and variety to different roles. Cross training, job rotation, multi-skilling and project work are all ways that keep people’s minds active. If there is no opportunity to spice up the work itself, then you need to provide non-work related opportunities for interest. A fun and relaxed environment will go a long way towards mediating the effects of repetitive work.

There are plenty more things that affect people’s levels or motivation. For example, if you pay peanuts, don’t expect people to be jumping with joy every time they come to work. If you can make come to grips with these 5 principles, then you’ll be making a good start to creating the environmental factors that contribute to a highly motivated workforce.

More on planning in a later post - but for now, let’s start the year with my favourite moment from one of the Chaser boys in 2007 (the Chaser being an irreverent comedy show for those who live outside of Oz). It’s not even part of their show, but something he said on television. Be warned, swear words are involved.

Classic Chaser moment

To all - here’s to ongoing success in 2008. I’ll get to the serious stuff in the next post…..maybe.

“long and pointless meetings are the main cause of office rage”

And if people look like they are paying attention in meetings, they are equally as likely to be writing a Xmas card list, setting goals for their new business or texting their friends under the table.

The volume of literature on making meetings more effective is astounding. And yet - the problem persists. Some companies like Walmart, only have stand up meetings - the theory being that you’ll wrap things up faster if you don’t get to sit down.

So a smart guy (Peter Murmann) from the Australian School of Business has developed the Meeting Meter - a tool that calculates the hourly cost of all participants in a meeting, while the meeting is occurring. In a true stroke of genius, the cost is shown on-screen, and as the meeting progresses, the dollars ratchet upwards.

It wouldn’t take long for people to finish up a meeting when they realise it’s costing thousands of dollars to have the people sitting around the table.

Smart idea….

Most commonly utilised initiatives aimed at retention:

• flexible work options - 67.5%
• financial incentives - 62%
• Leadership development - 48.2%
• Succession Planning - 47.7%
• Mentor programs - 36%
• formal coaching - 35.4%
• high potential programs - 27.8%

There were some differences across industries as to which strategies were more widely used, however Flexible Work Options stood out across all industries - both large and small - as the most popular retention/engagement strategy.

The strategies considered to be most effective at building engagement and driving retention correlated with the strategies most widely used.

Key points

• the strategies used should be tailored - and should change depending on the organisation, industry and even team
• 47% of poeple surveyed rated work/life balance issues as a trigger for leaving a job
• self service flexible benefits are becoming more widely used (that’s where the employee can select the benefits that appeal to them the most, such as reduced working week, remote working options, sabbaticals etc)
• best practice companies pay competitively, and also pay for peformance
• research from the Coroprate Leadership Council suggests an increase in base pay or annual bonus drives an employee’s intent to stay with an organisation by around 20%
• companies benefit from investing in the development of management and leadership skills of their current and future leaders
• companies should employ people with the best cultural fit and provide individualised development

To read the latest Hudson Report in full, click here .