Seven ways to attack your energy drainers for greater productivity
Inefficient business systems and processes are killing your productivity and consuming your time and well-being
There are hundreds of articles on time management, with long lists of useful tips or a focus on particular skills. Other blogs focus on better ways to manage your energy levels. I especially like the article by Rob Cross, Jean Singer, and Karen Dillon on micro-stresses.
However, there is less attention to the “energy drainers” of inefficient systems and procedures in large organizations, ranging from human resources processes to compliance functions, budget systems, or procurement.
“The only thing that saves us from bureaucracy is its inefficiency” Eugene McCarthy
Who hasn’t been driven to madness by irrational requirements that nobody can understand or explain? Or the conflicting and rapidly changing interpretation of procedures? Or IT systems that do not talk to each other? And how about the endless discussions to understand the rules in books several inches thick? Or the obscure and contradictory advice of colleagues on how to achieve compliance?
The pandemic has renewed the call for holistic approaches to business operational efficiency. Unfortunately, change is slow, and the number of Zoom meetings to deal with old…
