Why we Waste so much Time & Effort in the Workplace

Written by David Brewster


It is amazing how much wasted effort goes on inrepparttar modern workplace. People at all levels regularly perform unnecessary tasks on paper, on computers and even manually. Why? Paradoxically it is because we all have a strong preference for doing thingsrepparttar 106403 easy way, even if it is less efficient. We tend to followrepparttar 106404 ‘path of least resistance’.

In nature,repparttar 106405 ‘path of least resistance’ explains why rivers wind their way acrossrepparttar 106406 landscape, rather than take a straighter, shorter route. Water flowing downrepparttar 106407 river simply followsrepparttar 106408 easiest path available to it. The water doesn’t care that it is takingrepparttar 106409 long way home. The ENERGY ofrepparttar 106410 river simply followsrepparttar 106411 path of least resistance.

The path of least resistance affects our behaviour inrepparttar 106412 same way, but with a twist. Rather than minimise justrepparttar 106413 expense of energy at any given moment, we tend to give preference to minimising our level of THOUGHT.

So we accumulate piles of papers rather than continuously sorting, acting and filing. We under-use our software rather than pause to look uprepparttar 106414 help file and learn a quicker way. We persist with out-dated forms or procedures rather than take stock of their current relevance. We keep doing things ourselves because its easier than training someone else and risking a mistake.

The Secret to Better Decisions

Written by David Brewster


Ever noticed how little decisions can take just as long as big ones? How it can take just as much effort to decide what colour to paint your bedroom as it does to decide which model of car to buy?

At first this doesn't make sense. Surely we should take a lot longer over a decision to spend $40,000 on a car than $40 on a tin of paint? But often we don't - and there is a simple reason why.

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Let's explore these two examples.

The hardest thing about deciding on a paint colour for any purpose is that we can't actually seerepparttar result until we have maderepparttar 106402 investment (in time and/or money) and finishedrepparttar 106403 job.

Those of us with an untrained eye know only too well that, despite test-pots and computer simulations, initial perceptions can be very different fromrepparttar 106404 reality which strikes asrepparttar 106405 last few roller strokes are made.

Contrastrepparttar 106406 car. This is easy to visualise. A test-drive puts us behindrepparttar 106407 wheel of a brand new car. A car which is clean, shiny and devoid of crumbs and wrappers all overrepparttar 106408 floor. A car without rattles. A car with that characteristic 'new car' smell.

The perception created by advertising becomes reality, our emotions kick in and we just want to keep on driving. Before we know it we are signingrepparttar 106409 papers!

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The key difference between these two examples is notrepparttar 106410 relative size ofrepparttar 106411 decisions, nor differing levels of emotional investment.

The key difference isrepparttar 106412 contrasting degrees of CLARITY aboutrepparttar 106413 ultimate outcome atrepparttar 106414 timerepparttar 106415 decision is made. Inrepparttar 106416 case ofrepparttar 106417 car,repparttar 106418 test-drive experience provides almost surreal clarity well before we need to make a decision, hence 'easy' decision. Inrepparttar 106419 case of colour choice, clarity is not achieved until well afterrepparttar 106420 decision has been made: 'hard' decision.

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