Doing more with less 1

Gosh, I've certainly got a lot on my plate these days. I'm working harder than ever now that Yoko has joined the leadership development program and Sue got headhunted by that big cosmetics outfit.

You're not alone, if that's any comfort. Heavier workloads have become "the new normal." One of the biggest outcomes of the recession is leaner companies that run more efficiently with less staff. And by the way, there won’t any replacements for Yoko and Sue, at least for the time being.

Well, their presence will be missed in more ways than one. But don't get me wrong. I'm no slouch. I like to work hard and carry may share of the collective load. But I wonder what effect cutting payrolls is having on productivity.

Interestingly enough, increased productivity is also he new normal in the American economy these days. Service-oriented companies and manufactures alike cut there staffs sharply during the recession as sales tanked , and out of sheer necessity they found ways to do more with fewer employees.

I guess that explains why we haven't seen a significant fall in the unemployment rate.