Sharing is Caring

Information Sharing: The Key to Greater Productivity!

I’m confident that you’ve been there at one point or another; new job, new working environment, new employees and the new and varied personalities which ensue. Starting a new job can be an exciting, but at the same time quite daunting experience. The fear of not knowing what to expect from your new colleagues can leave you feeling like a fish out of water.

In the first thirty (30) days after you commence employment you will generally feel that you have something to prove. After all, you were chosen from several highly qualified candidates to do a job and therefore you want to ensure that the employer does not regret their decision. You want to demonstrate how much of an expert you are on all topics in and out of your scope of work and you want to master organizational processes which may have very well taken other employees years to grasp.

If you’re lucky, you’ll get an official induction/orientation on the job or possibly find that one employee who is willing to take you under his or her wing and ensure that you grasp all the necessary information to carry out your job in an efficient manner. Sadly, the reality is that most times new recruits are left to “figure it out” all on their own. While being able to work independently and take initiative are very highly sought after job skills, providing little to no support to a new recruit may severely impact organizational productivity.

In her article entitled, The Effect of Communication on Productivity, entrepreneur and award-winning journalist Linda Ray states, “Productivity increases when your employees are satisfied with their jobs and with the level of communication they receive from management. […] When employees receive regular feedback on their performance, and are told what’s going on in the company and what role they play in the overall success of the business, they will reward you by working harder and more efficiently.”

As elementary as it may seem, information sharing and communication are pivotal factors in increasing job efficiency and productivity. Consequently, one of the major shortcomings of modern-day organizations is that the leaders tend to assume and often expect employees to have information that they have not formally disseminated. Employee ignorance (lack of knowledge), particularly as it pertains to what exactly required of them in their specific job function and how it fits into the overall organization strategic objectives, generally results in misunderstanding. An employee may therefore spend much time engaging in time- wasting activities which add little value to achieving the company’s vision and mission which may hinder personal and organizational productivity in the process.

Every organization wants to improve productivity and efficiency. Thankfully, communications and information sharing has become increasingly easier since the advent of the Internet/technological age. Leaders now have a multitude tools at their fingertips to ensure that their subordinates are kept up to date, almost instantaneously.

When leaders take the time to ensure that employees are informed the positive outcome is immediately visible. Firstly, there is less misunderstanding as employees have a clear idea and direction of what is required of them and the overall reason for what they are doing. Employees also feel that they are empowered to do their work as management has made their inclusion in the “big picture” a priority. Additionally, there is increased accountability as employees know exactly what they are working towards and want to ensure that they deliver on what is expected of them.

By properly managing their information sharing and overall communications processes organizations will undoubtedly achieve the productivity gains they are searching for. Not only will this boost employee morale and increase productivity, it will also result in an overall more pleasant working environment.
About the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC)

Established in October 2013, The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) is responsible for the identification of key issues related to competitiveness and productivity in Saint Lucia.

The NCPC and its Technical Secretariat is committed to providing the necessary advocacy and research to produce timely and effective recommendations to policymakers on issues that affect both competitiveness and productivity on island. For more information about productivity or on the NCPC, visit www.stluciancpc.org; www.facebook.com/stluciancpc, call 468-5571/5576 or send an e-mail to stluciancpc@gmail.com