{"id":3580,"date":"2013-07-08T10:49:54","date_gmt":"2013-07-08T14:49:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alifeofproductivity.com\/?p=3580"},"modified":"2022-09-03T01:16:11","modified_gmt":"2022-09-03T01:16:11","slug":"mcdonalds-and-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chrisbailey.com\/mcdonalds-and-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"What McDonald’s can teach us about becoming more productive"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Takeaway:<\/b>\nIf you have little room to be innovative at your job, you also have little room to be productive.<\/p>\n

Estimated Reading Time:<\/b>\n2 minutes, 1s.<\/div><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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Rereading the incredible book Linchpin<\/a><\/span> inspired me to write this article. I’ll have a review of the book up next week!<\/div><\/div>\n

Quick – who is the largest toy distributor in the world? The answer may surprise you: it\u2019s McDonald\u2019s. The chain includes a toy in every Happy Meal, and distributes more toys than even Toys \u201cR\u201d Us and Wal-Mart.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another one \u2013 who is the largest real estate company in the world? The answer\u00a0again\u00a0may surprise you, because again<\/i>, it\u2019s McDonald\u2019s. McDonald\u2019s owns a massive portfolio of properties, ranging from locations in bustling urban centres to locations in small towns, and the company actually charges franchisees not only for using the McDonald\u2019s name, but also for renting the properties that the company owns. The company also strategically buys and sells its real estate.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\"3026789447_4baa6cfbaf_o\"<\/p>\n

The thing that most people like about McDonald\u2019s is they know what to expect \u2013 a Big Mac is a Big Mac whether you buy one in San Francisco or Toronto. The service is usually quick, the workers are typically friendly, most of the locations look the same, and you don\u2019t have to think much when you buy a burger at McDonald\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Or when you work there.<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s employees cannot be innovative. If the employees at one McDonald\u2019s location start cooking up filet mignon in the back, even if they\u2019re cooking the most delicious steaks in the world, their adventure might last a week, tops. McDonald\u2019s workers are factory workers, and unlike the company they work for, they cannot be innovative. The innovation at McDonald\u2019s made the company the world\u2019s largest toy distributor, real estate company, and burger joint, but a McDonald\u2019s employee\u2019s\u00a0inability\u00a0to innovate earns them minimum wage.<\/p>\n

Jobs that do not have room for innovation (\u201cfactory\u201d jobs) are a race to the bottom. As Seth Godin talks about in his great book Linchpin<\/span><\/a>, when there is no room for a worker to innovate in their job, their job is a continual race to the bottom – a constant struggle to get 10% quicker, better, or more efficient.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to discount becoming quicker, better, or more efficient at what you do. In a large way, this blog is about doing just that.<\/p>\n

But when you have no room to be innovative in your work, you put away your real talent and potential for the sake of earning a quick buck or two. Not to mention that it’s near-impossible to ‘pull a McDonald’s’ and leapfrog<\/i> your competition who are doing almost the exact same work.<\/p>\n

How much room for innovation is there in the job you work? How can you be 10x more innovative, as opposed to just 10% better? What would it take for you to become indispensable?<\/p>\n

Image credits: “Golden Imperialism<\/span><\/a><\/span>“,\u00a0McDonald’s in China<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

  1. Source: http:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/small-cap\/2004\/09\/03\/the-stealth-toy-giant.aspx<\/span><\/a> ↩<\/a><\/p><\/li>

  2. Source: http:\/\/seekingalpha.com\/article\/73533-mcdonalds-is-a-real-estate-company<\/span><\/a> ↩<\/a><\/p><\/li><\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    McDonald’s simultaneously focuses on becoming more efficient and leapfrogging their competition. It’s not by fluke that the company is the world’s largest burger joint.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1069,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat McDonald's can teach us about becoming more productive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"McDonald's simultaneously focuses on becoming more efficient and leapfrogging their competition. 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