One of the panellists, Paul Murphy, CEO of Jersey Business, highlighted the concerning decline in productivity, emphasising that the solution isn't simply to work harder but to address underlying complexities. Chronic underinvestment, lack of innovation, and volatility in markets were identified as key contributors to the productivity dilemma, not just in the islands but globally.  

He outlined areas for enhancement, emphasising the importance of focusing on people, processes, and innovation. Lindsay Hart, Sales & Marketing Director at NP Group, shared  stressed the significance of leadership, clear communication of objectives, culture and staff buy-in for successful productivity initiatives.   

Rory Inglis, Managing Director of POS Interiors, underscored the impact of workspace design on productivity, advocating for task-based environments, biophilic elements, and the integration of technology to create holistic solutions. 

Glen Tonks, the Chair of the IoD’s Guernsey branch commented: “Collaboration is one of our strategic aims for 2024, and working closely with the Jersey IoD proved to be very popular.  Increasing the islands’ productivity is something that businesses in both Channel Islands are grappling with and the insights shared by our panellists were extremely useful.  

“During the session, it become very clear that there is no single solution; instead organisations need to consider technology, corporate culture and communications, the physical environment, processes and much more to achieve the productivity increases we need to see sustainable economic growth.”