Boosting productivity has always been an ongoing business goal. In a tough economy, the variation on that theme is doing more with less. So we are seeing a myriad of approaches and management strategies to improve productivity.

One example is productivity gained from specific workforce programs such as telework. Can Telework Cut Costs and Raise Productivity in Today's Economy? reports that productivity went up 31% for the 9,000 telecommuters at British Telecom.

Companies' Secret Weapon: Underutilized Executives says there may be more productivity available just for the asking, according to an Accenture survey called Untapped Potential: Stretching Toward the Future. Aligning talent to new roles and challenges equates to increased productivity with 58% interested in doing more.

However there is a more fundamental holistic talent management approach that produces systemic success rather than simply treating the symptoms. It’s succinctly stated in this memorable quote by the noted management guru Peter Drucker:

“Management by objective works - if you know the objectives. Ninety percent of the time you don't.”

Aligning talent to business is a fundamental benefit of unified talent management where performance management is linked to recruiting and goals are tied to performance and compensation. Cascading goals increase communication and boost focused productivity.