Productivity - it's a mind game

It's budget day in the UK, and there's a lot of chatter about productivity - or more accurately, the relative lack of it in the UK. I suspect that, as with many large organisations, including governments, they're looking in the wrong place.

In the industrial economy mindset, productivity is measured mechanically - outputs - mainly framed in money as a function of inputs - again, mainly measured in money - capital, labour costs etc.The pursuit of it has also taken a mechanical, process path. Quality, Process, Lean, Six Sigma. All very valuable, but finite tools.

In a connection economy, the prime driver of productivity is bandwidth - measured as the efficiency and lack of friction in the creation of value. If creativity is the process of turning ideas into value, then the determinants are allowing and enabling people to think creatively, and connect those ideas to places - people, businesses, universities - wherever - where they can thrive.

Most businesses are structured to strangle creat…