The first guy handled the machine, which was one of those bulky yet somewhat cool contraptions you saw cleaners in shopping centres use to sweep and mop the floor. He held the two handles by the side while it rotated in small circular motions on the marble floor without stop, making it a shade shinier with each rotation. The second guy, well, he held the door open while the first one completed the task, which was interesting because I had before seen lift doors held open by slotting a thick folded paper strategically between the doors. But for some reason, that did not seem applicable for this lift. Then there was the last guy, obviously the supervisor, given his skin tone was a lot lighter than the other two, who kept barking out instructions.
Three guys, just to polish a marble floor about 2 metres by 2 metres. This was the sight that greeted me when I came back home after a year long stay in the US, which involved a project to do more work with less people ie productivity improvement.
During an exchange I did in Sweden, a Professor once noted that a way to measure a country's productivity was to head to the nearest hostel and observe how many people worked there. The less people working meant that the same worker fulfilled multiple roles, be it the receptionist, the cook or the cleaner. In countries with very cheap labour, like in India, I would often come across fast food eateries with a person to just open the door or an ATM with a single security guard seated right in front of it. How they kept themselves engaged was anybody's guess.
In Singapore, where the government has been leading efforts to improve productivity across all industries, the sight of the three men cleaning that one lift was an indicator that the gahmen were not totally succeeding in its efforts, thanks to the scores of cheaply imported migrant labor. Though it was not just that. After starting work in a company that reflected local working attitudes, it surprised me how managers had no qualms about giving last minute work that resulted in 13 plus hour workdays and demanded reports be sent out on weekends. Of course there are proponents of hard work', which includes my dear father, who believes that one should be on standby for a call from the office, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. While they have the right to choose that path, they do not have the right to impose it on others who have other priorities in life, in particular, family. For these people, the extra workload is a strain on the finite energy, time and resources we all possess. This increased strain fatigues people, diminishes focus and demotivates workers, all that will naturally impact productivity in the long run.
Something to ponder about for the gahmen.
Three guys, just to polish a marble floor about 2 metres by 2 metres. This was the sight that greeted me when I came back home after a year long stay in the US, which involved a project to do more work with less people ie productivity improvement.
During an exchange I did in Sweden, a Professor once noted that a way to measure a country's productivity was to head to the nearest hostel and observe how many people worked there. The less people working meant that the same worker fulfilled multiple roles, be it the receptionist, the cook or the cleaner. In countries with very cheap labour, like in India, I would often come across fast food eateries with a person to just open the door or an ATM with a single security guard seated right in front of it. How they kept themselves engaged was anybody's guess.
In Singapore, where the government has been leading efforts to improve productivity across all industries, the sight of the three men cleaning that one lift was an indicator that the gahmen were not totally succeeding in its efforts, thanks to the scores of cheaply imported migrant labor. Though it was not just that. After starting work in a company that reflected local working attitudes, it surprised me how managers had no qualms about giving last minute work that resulted in 13 plus hour workdays and demanded reports be sent out on weekends. Of course there are proponents of hard work', which includes my dear father, who believes that one should be on standby for a call from the office, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. While they have the right to choose that path, they do not have the right to impose it on others who have other priorities in life, in particular, family. For these people, the extra workload is a strain on the finite energy, time and resources we all possess. This increased strain fatigues people, diminishes focus and demotivates workers, all that will naturally impact productivity in the long run.
Something to ponder about for the gahmen.
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