[wolly]

Unfortunately I think personal productivity overall in industry is less of a factor than people suggest. Everyone wants have high pay, use exciting technologies, work in comfort etc. but they don't see the bigger picture.

Investing in people at the end of they day has to make sense, otherwise other companies will out compete you. When it's hard to determine people skills, work varies highly in intensity, projects fail for any number of reasons, people don't stay very long at even the most "comfortable" companies etc. the personal productivity of any employee becomes marginal, at least in the lower ranks. This is true for most "craft" industries like newspapers, fashion or design.