A couple of days ago I noticed a guy installing a solar system on a two-story house in my neighborhood.

Working 20 plus feet off the ground on a pitched roof is not my cup of tea. 

Anyway, he started working shortly after sun up and kept at it until it was too dark to see well.

I’m sure he was getting paid by the job rather than by the hour

It was in his best interest to get the job done quickly so he could make more money per unit of time and move on to another job.

It’s a perfect example of productivity.

People that do more work in less time while maintaining quality and accuracy are worth more than those who aren’t as productive.

It reminds me of someone I met while working in an automobile plant when I was a kid. 

He was paid based on the number of a specific part he produced in a day.

However, he was restricted from exceeding a set number of the parts he produced every day because exceeding that number would make others doing the same work look bad.

I didn’t get it. Still don’t. It was a union thing.

This guy could really crank it out so he worked for about two hours in the morning and another two hours after lunch.

The rest of the time he read books.

Management had two choices – let him produce more and earn more or let him read his books.

He would have happily produced more parts so he could have made more money, but the rules were stacked against him.

This is another example of excellent productivity, but one that wasn’t properly rewarded because of the circumstances.

These two stories illustrate the importance of continuously looking for ways to become more productive in your work.

You’ll reap the rewards unless you’re stuck in a restrictive environment.

If you do find yourself in a restrictive environment, it might be in your best interest to start looking for another place to work.

There are plenty of business owners who appreciate productive people and reward them accordingly.

Regardless of whether you get paid by the hour or you’re a salaried employee, approach you work as if you were being paid by the job.

Ask yourself every day, “Is there a way I can produce more today while maintaining or improving quality and accuracy, and have fun doing it?”

If you have this performance | productivity mindset, you’ll begin to notice opportunities for making tweaks or changes that will help you do mote in less time.

And, then you’ll be noticed.

Would Your Work Habits Change if You Were Paid by the Job?