Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

One way of accomplishing work is to employ fewer better people. Of course this works. That depends on the definition of “better people.”

One way of accomplishing work is to employ fewer better people. It works. Of course it works. Let’s use this definition:

Better people are those who can use the tools to accomplish the task.

Consider farming. When a better plow arrived, fewer hands were needed on the farm. A better farmer learned how to use the newer and better tool. This better farmer could farm more land in the same time and produce more food. Same production; fewer people.

Consider the American office. Less-expensive computing arrived in the 1980s in the form of personal computers. A better person learned how to use the newer and better tool. Word processing, just one application, meant fewer and eventually zero typists in the office. This better person could produce more text in the same time. Same production; less time and fewer people.

The current slate of AI tools arrives. Same story. New tool. Better people learn how to use the new tool wisely and produce more in the same time. Nothing new.

Fewer people bring other concepts. There is less overhead (don’t have to rent a big office building, one office area will do or everyone works from home). Less overhead means less expense. Fewer people bring fewer lines of communication. Decisions can be quicker. And on it goes.

Of course fewer better people works to accomplish work. That is part of the definition.