I caught a fantastic Radio 4 programme – Rethink – recently when I was driving home from a swim. Some clever business people were discussing the UK’s productivity problem.
Did you know we lag behind countries like the US, Germany, and France? So much so, the average French worker accomplishes in 4 days what it takes a UK worker 5 to complete.
This is despite British workers often putting in longer hours.
The UK is reportedly experiencing its worst period for productivity growth since… the Napoleonic era.
Say, whaaat?
The Management Factor
According to the programme, a significant part of the issue comes down to how organisations manage time.
One contributor shared a compelling case study which supported this.
A company she knew conducted an experiment. They blocked out 3 mornings each week for deep, focused work to see if it made a difference. So during that time, there were no internal emails, no Teams calls, no scheduled meetings… no interruptions.
The outcome? Teams had the breathing space they needed to actually get things done.
It was a simple shift – but a powerful one. Too often, we’re giving ourselves no protected time to do meaningful work.
We’re drowning in busyness and surface-level activity.
Does That Sound Familiar?
If that resonates with you, you’re not alone.
Over the past year, I’ve carried out marketing audits for three fantastic organisations here in Surrey. And a common thread kept emerging:
marketing effectiveness was surprisingly low.
Not because teams weren’t doing enough. They were generating some amazing output, comms and content.
What they weren’t doing was to step back to evaluate what was actually working.
Busy Doesn’t = Effective
Each organisation was active across multiple channels – posting on social media, sending email updates, printing flyers, running digital ads – but few were pausing to ask:
Messaging: what’s really resonating with our audience?
Channels: which platforms are delivering results – and which ones aren’t?
Conversion: are landing pages actually converting?
With the right systems in place, reporting on this can take as little as 30 -60 minutes a month.
Why Marketing Systems Boost Productivity
That’s why I believe strong marketing systems should be a core part of any productivity conversation. They help shift the focus from reactive, scattergun activity to thoughtful, strategic action.
Less constant “doing.”
More intentional reflection.
Better results.
Make Space to Think
Productivity comes from creating space to reflect. Taking that helicopter view. Asking what’s working—and what isn’t.
Who knows?
With some key changes, could your business start delivering French-level results too?
Copyright © Paula Gilbert, July 2025. All rights reserved.