Work Smarter
As economic pressures increase you may hear a buzz about "productivity." Your manager or senior administrator may use benchmarking to compare your laboratory to others. And if you aren't working hard enough by the numbers, you'll hear that, too.
Not working hard enough? Maybe your lab has these:
- A tech who spends time online whenever possible
- A tech who habitually comes to work five minutes late
- A tech who is constantly distracted by outpatients and telephone calls
It's tempting to think a manager needs only to motivate workers to work harder. If only we moved a little faster. If only we entered results into the computer a little faster. If only we answered the telephone faster. If only people spend less time dawdling and more time working, our productivity would increase.
Sure, maybe. But if techs were 100% focused on tasks and never "wasted" time, how much faster would work be done? I'd like to see the numbers.
The philosophy of work harder is inherently flawed, because it assumes that motivation creates productivity, blaming the individual. It's probably true that some motivation creates more work, but we work within systems that create quality. It's much easier for techs to be "motivated" in a lab designed to be pleasant, orderly, and efficient. Techs "fit," in other words:
- The tech who spends time online works on network solutions to save time
- The tech who is late switches to flexible hours to reduce laboratory overtime
- The tech who is distracted by outpatients spearheads an outreach program that increases revenue
The philosophy of work smarter (Lean et al) is about the how and not the why of work. If systems are corrected and tweaked to waste less time, space, and effort, work is naturally done faster. More importantly, finding the right fit to match talents and abilities creates a team. Work smarter, and be more productive.