We complain how little time we have. Or we complain about how long we have to wait. Either time is too short or too long. We lose track of time when we’re engrossed in a task. But we use a lot of it when we distract ourselves from our jobs. Time is an intangible resourceContinue reading “Attaining Flow via Systems & Platforms”
Tag Archives: productivity
The Pros & Cons of Trigger-Dependent Systems
I complained to the Philippines’ Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) that a mobile phone seller didn’t honour the terms of a promotion in which I was entitled to a PhP 3,000 allowance to buy smartphone accessories. The DTI responded that I have to fill out a form before the department would respond. No form,Continue reading “The Pros & Cons of Trigger-Dependent Systems”
I Hate It When People Rush Me
I don’t play golf. It’s not only because I’m a lousy player (although that has a lot to do with it). It’s also because I hate it when people rush me at the golf course. When I used to play golf, the caddies would tell me to hurry up because there were other players whoContinue reading “I Hate It When People Rush Me”
What Is Stupidity?
We don’t like being called stupid. It’s insulting and the one who says it obviously has bad intentions against the person he’s labelling as stupid. But what does stupid mean, anyway? It is not the opposite of smart. Smart describes cleverness, ingenuity, intelligence, and innovation. Ignorant would be the best antonym of smart asContinue reading “What Is Stupidity?”
Don’t Forget Productivity in Promoting Resilience
When the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 catastrophically caused a sudden global economic recession, enterprises went on the defensive to keep their businesses afloat; executives promised stakeholders they would transform their organisations to become more resilient. Risk management was the popular precursor to resilience. In risk management, managers laid out possible threats and prepared for them. Continue reading “Don’t Forget Productivity in Promoting Resilience”
Ergonomics Can Be Helpful, Really Helpful
When it comes to productivity improvement, the first thing many executives think of is head count, how many people are needed for the job. The last thing many managers think of is the human factor, how to better improve the working conditions for the individual person. Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concernedContinue reading “Ergonomics Can Be Helpful, Really Helpful”
Delegating is a Subset of Teamwork
The following are some lines I’ve heard bosses tell their subordinates when the latter are feeding back about difficulties in their jobs: “Be creative.” “Just do it.” “Don’t give me problems.” “If there’s a will, there’s a way.” “I can count on you.” “That’s what I pay you for.” “That’s what I hired you toContinue reading “Delegating is a Subset of Teamwork”
When Idle is Not Necessarily Bad
A chief executive officer (CEO) of a large corporation was touring a manufacturing facility. As with all CEO’s touring a factory, he had an entourage of executives accompanying him as he walked and shook hands with workers on the production line. As he strolled through the facility’s main line where the most important manufacturing processesContinue reading “When Idle is Not Necessarily Bad”
A Letter to the IE: More than Ever, We Need to Lead the World to Productivity
Dear Industrial Engineer* The year 2020 ended without a happy ending. The SARS-CoV-2 virus had not gone away. It continues to be a global threat going into 2021. Political and enterprise leaders have done all they can to defeat the virus. There was hope. Thanks to record-breaking world-class collaboration efforts, vaccines have become realitiesContinue reading “A Letter to the IE: More than Ever, We Need to Lead the World to Productivity”
How Important Productivity is to the Value Chain
The fast-food restaurant drive-thru I go to every Sunday morning hasn’t been serving the liquid creamers that accompany the coffee I order with my meals. At first, they said the creamers were out of stock. A week later, they said they can only serve one (1) creamer instead of the two (2) that should comeContinue reading “How Important Productivity is to the Value Chain”
Ellery's Essays 