Summary

In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses the common workplace challenge of being asked to do more with less. She critiques the phrase 'doing more with less' as a misguided approach for austerity that often leads to employee burnout and a scarcity mindset. Christa discusses the historical context of austerity measures, their impact on innovation and organizational culture, and the importance of strategic investment in resources and technology. She offers practical strategies for managers facing these challenges and emphasizes the need for a shift towards Lean Principles that focus on efficiency and value creation. The episode concludes with a call to rethink the phrase 'do more with less' and focus on sustainable practices that benefit both employees and the organization.

Key Takeaways

· Doing more with less is often a misguided approach for austerity.

· Many do not know the difference between austerity and efficiency (they are different).

· Austerity measures should be temporary vs a long-term strategy.

· Chronic austerity starves a business of innovation due to a scarcity mindset among employees.

· Investing in tools and resources is crucial for productivity.

· It's important to challenge the status quo of doing more with less.

· Lean principles can help organizations achieve efficiency without sacrificing employee well-being.

Additional Resources

austerity. (2025). https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/austerity

Forbes HR Panel. (2024, August 13). 20 Strategies to support your team when the company is understaffed. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2023/10/16/20-strategies-to-support-your-team-when-the-company-is-understaffed/

Hayes, A. (2023, June 10). Understanding austerity, types of austerity measures, and examples. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/austerity.asp

Pannell, R. (2025, January 20). The 8 Types of Downtime in Lean: How to Identify and Eliminate Waste. LeanScape. https://leanscape.io/the-8-types-of-downtime-in-lean-how-to-identify-and-eliminate-waste/

Siddiqui, A. R. (2022, April 14). Lean Philosophy: the way of business that gave rise to industry giants. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/councils/theyec/2021/01/14/lean-philosophy-the-way-of-business-that-gave-rise-to-industry-giants/

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