Cleanliness and productivity: Let’s understand better its correlations

An establishment glorifies and sensitises us all to cleanness with drives, movements which many adore and adapt while others desist, fence with and have issues.

Let’s examine what cleanliness — Swachh Bharat means to me:

Cleanliness is next to godliness — a phrase that we have grown up with, yet all the while we keep struggling it to make it happen.

• We desist if we come across disorganised spaces, places or beings — we find it simply not good and feel why on this earth is this person so clumsy. And we then have opinions, beliefs, judgements over him — we classify him as unworthy, inefficient, confused and one to be avoided with.
• Same is the case with organisations — some of them are clumsy, fractured, in their approaches — suffering from paralysis of analysis — endless, futile meetings happening at drop of the hat, justifications ruling the roost in case of any failures, why me approach and above all one witnesses endless, meaningless high octave discussion on tropical topics like politics, sports, religion, and management taking place.
• Same goes with us in personal spaces too. We wait for things to happen rather than making them happen. We want someone to do it for us rather than picking up our won bags to make it happen. In fact, I have witnessed apex management doesn’t even carry its own bags to their respective desks in some cases.
• Let me now share some interesting facets that were brought out during a survey on linking cleanliness — in thoughts, actions, ecosystem with productivity, carried over 50,000 corporations, having a turnover of $100 million each with workforce in ranges of 5-10K, across six continents. Times scale — 12 months.
• Average down time decreased by 4%.
• Turnaround time increased by 6% — decisions was made faster and better.
• Employee engagement increased by 9%.
• Interpersonal equations improved by 11% — less of fencing and fixation to ones thoughts.
• Conflicts that paused the organisation decreased by 7%.
• Upping decision making by 12%.
• Gender sensitivity increased by 13%.
• Communication improved by 8% — eliminating noise in the system.
• Clarity of objectives and processes thereof improved by 7%.
• New business propositions through innovations and critical thinking – approximately 18% of existing processes were rehashed to up the productivity and 11% were debunked while 3% were added new. Thereby giving new wings to the organisation.
• Cost rationalisation — bottom line addition up by 4%
• Hygiene costs decreased by 11% — everyone was sensitive to better his work space hence low spillages.
• Overall environ — happiness quotient increased by 11%.

How is it done?

• Apart from up keeping personal hygiene and office spaces cleanliness, each staff was made responsible to not only maintain the levels but also to help other do it — engaging with people at basics.
• Discussion was to lead to actionable results under a time span and not endless conversations over teas and coffees. Critical decision making processes were implemented.
• Ideation and its ramifications being the principal driver — not the face — let the best executable idea win. Each function needed to evolve a value proposition design- do more great work.
• Meetings were focussed and agendas circulated in advance to avoid non relevant discussions.
• Organisation was focussed to high output management — transiting from efficiency to effectiveness.
• Understand some new paradigms better:
• The new rules of engagement — adapt or die.
• First role — everything is happening faster.
• Second role — anything that can be done will be done, if not by you, but by someone else. Let there be no misunderstanding. These changes will lead to a less kind, less gentle and less predictive work place.
• Hence, managers need to develop a high tolerance for disorder — inferring, you should still not accept disorder. In fact, you should do your best to drive what’s around you to order.
• Remember the output of a manager is the output of the organisational units under his supervision or influence.
• High-managerial productivity depends largely on choosing to perform tasks that possess high leverage.
• Lastly, peak performance is elicited from individuals in it. In any organisation, one environ must stimulate the athlete to put out his personal best consistently — sustaining high level of performance.
• Attendance improved by 27% — output not excuses ruled the roost.

Your call now, folks!