Four key factors that impact on Organisational Productivity

The Institute for Corporate Productivity article “Productivity Is a Higher Priority, but Which Initiatives Really Work?” discussing a the May 2008 survey, of 305 respondents, asking questions about 16 factors that have the potential to raise productivity. Of the16 factors, the following five factors, corporate culture, leadership, compensation and benefit programs, training and development, and performance management. Of the five factors, the most productive organizations furthest outstripped the average ones in the following four areas:

• The culture of the organization: “Seventy-nine percent of the most productive organizations say that, to a high or very high degree, the cultures of their organizations help raise employee productivity.”
• Leadership: “Seventy-six percent of highly productive companies said that, to a high or very high extent, leadership in their companies raises productivity (compared with 48% of all respondents).”
• Employee engagement practices: “Whereas just 31% of average respondents said their organizations use engagement practices to a high or very high extent to boost productivity, 59% of highly productive organizations said they do. Engagement means that workers are mentally and emotionally invested in their work and in contributing to their employer’s success.”
• Employee health/wellness programs: “People like to work for organizations that send strong signals that they care for their employees. These particular programs may be sending those signals more than most other types of initiatives do… It’s also possible that such programs actually boost the physical and mental well-being of workers, leading to higher rates of work productivity.”

The research highlights the importance of effective leadership for company success. Organizational and indeed personal success rises and falls on the effective practice of leadership. What are you doing to develop your leadership ability? What are you doing to develop the leadership ability of others? This may be the most important task of any organization.