The Microsoft short film Productivity Future Vision (2011) provides a glimpse into a world where every moment in every person's life is ultimately productive. While not clearly obvious in the film, such productivity is advantageous only because it is inherently strategic. Unfortunately, this type of Strategic Productivity is not normally prevalent in business.
1. Understand and Leverage the Pigeonhole Principle
Simply stated, the Pigeonhole Principle says that if there are more items to handle than individual places to handle them, some of the locations will be required to accommodate multiple items. This principle explains why faulty (or no) corporate strategy often falls victim to productivity. When any organization tries to accomplish more than it has capacity to execute, resources are increasingly forced over time into plural duty.
2. Prioritize on Strategy not Tactics
Even for those organizations that realize the need to prioritize productivity, there is often a lack of understanding of the difference between strategic and tactical prioritization. A strategic approach would look at the volumes or demand identified in the prevailing strategy and set priorities based on that strategic intent.
3. Measure & Reward on Strategy and Tactics using a dynamic time approach
Unlike prioritization, measurement, reward, and decision systems need to be driven by strategic and tactical intent. Because of this, the strategic time horizon must be used to determine measurement and recognition/reward goals and drive decision metrics at a given point of strategic execution.
Strategic Productivity only happens where Transformational Leaders are present. Once achieved, bolder and more ambitious Strategic Planning results and competitiveness explodes.