Do bosses really understand the Principle of Productivity?

"Working longer hours does not mean getting more done, it simply encourages taking more time to do the things which could have been done in a shorter time." ... Jonathan Ooi

There are many types of bosses and managers, but they could generally be grouped into two categories: the activity-oriented or the result-oriented.

The first category of bosses or managers would feel good and happy when their employees are at their desk 8.8 hours a day. This kind of management style would encourage employees to learn to make themselves always look busy at their desks. But, the management does not really care about the results and the productivity level by which the results are attained. It is as if the employees are paid by the hours and not by the results they produce. This is certainly operating against the Principle of Productivity.

The work could have been done in a much shorter time, but because employees are measured by the hours at work, so they simply stretch the time taken to complete the jobs. In this kind of environment, the employees are unmotivated, unproductive and not result-oriented. But, bosses are happy! This is the funny thing.

The second category of bosses or managers are usually more "educated" in management concepts and practices. They would manage their employees by objectives or results. Hence, they are more result-oriented, thus giving rise to terms like Management by Objectives (MBO) or management by results. This is very pro-productivity because the employees are usually motivated to get things done in the shortest possible time. They are measured by the results, not so much by the hours they work.

I have frequently used this principle and it worked well. I told my staff to give me a list of their objectives for the day and the time they need to get them done. But, if they could finish those things or met those objectives earlier than expected, the remaining time of the day is theirs, they can leave the office earlier if they want. I can assure you the employees would work at video-fast-forward speed. This is the true speed of work they are capable of achieving. In this environment with this kind of leadership, employees are surely motivated, productive and result-oriented.

This is the kind of management and leadership style that should be practised more in Singapore, especially when the government is focussing more on productivity growth now.