CLO-Blog

Published March 2009

Doing More With Less Just Doesn't Add Up

Lindsay Edmonds Wickman

It seems that the mentality these days in many organizations is to “do more with less.” And to tell you the truth, I’m tired of hearing that phrase because it carries such a significant burden for those on the receiving end.

What does doing more with less even mean? To me, that statement implies: We want you to do more low-quality work with fewer resources. It’s just unrealistic to think that your organization is going to be able to output the same amount of work at the same quality with fewer people and less money. Nothing in that equation adds up. Something’s gotta give and that something is quality. So, the next time you tell your staff that they have to do more with less, think about what that really means and the implications of it.

If you are on the receiving end of those words, I recommend setting priorities. If you’re the learning organization and your CEO tells you that you need to start doing more with less, go back to the drawing board and identify the three most crucial learning priorities for your organization and then deliver on those priorities. Setting priorities is the only way to keep quality and output at the same level when you have fewer resources.

Lindsay Edmonds Wickman is an associate editor for Chief Learning Officer magazine. She can be reached at editor@clomedia.com.

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