Elon Musk's Tips for Productivity
Elon Musk sets lofty, sometimes impossible goals for his companies, as shown in April when Tesla missed their production target of 2,500 Model 3s per week. Musk's new goal is to produce 6,000 Model 3s per week by the end of June. In addition to announcing the hiring of a third shift to allow 24/7 production, he recently shared a few of his own productivity recommendations with his staff. Here are a few highlights:
Meetings
"Excessive meetings are the blight of big companies and almost always get worse over time," says Musk. He advises everyone at the company to “walk out of a meeting or drop off a call as soon as it is obvious you aren't adding value. It is not rude to leave; it is rude to make someone stay and waste their time.”
Communication
Musk advises against the use of technical language wherever possible. "In general, anything that requires an explanation inhibits communication." Musk also encourages people to bypass their managers to directly communicate with the person most able to help. “Communication should travel via the shortest path necessary to get the job done, not through the chain of command.”
Common Sense
“If following a company rule is obviously ridiculous in a particular situation... then the rule should change,” says Musk. He encourages his employees to use their common sense, and to speak up if they think of a way to improve the company or something that would allow them to “look forward to coming to work more.”
Musk's advice will be put to the test. With the end of June less that two months away, more than doubling production in that time is a lofty goal indeed.
Source
This lesson is based on a news article written by Harry J. Meech.