Productivity Paranoia vs. Work-life Sustainability

I find it extremely interesting, not to say fascinating, that Productivity Paranoia suddenly has become a term and well-known phenomenon. As defined by Microsoft in their Work Trend Index ("WTI") report from September 2022, and currently discussed by numerous analysts and experts, there seems to be an outbreak of Productivity Paranoia amongst leaders. This is because employees more often demand a hybrid work-model to remain post-pandemic, having gotten used to a more flexible work style, less time wasted on commutes and greater ability to support their families. A simpler and happier life for many of us! And more often a hard requirement when seeking out employment – please refer to “the great re-shuffle” as described in this Forbes article from November 2021, for example.

So, what is the issue here? To me it seems to boil down to trust. And I am wondering why so many (88% according to the latest WTI-report) CEOs do not trust their employees to do their job, take responsibility and be accountable for their results?

Having spent most of my career working in Europe, or Scandinavia to be specific, this is foreign to me. Most of my managers throughout my career have had a simple philosophy: ”I trust you to do your job and perform, but I do not care about where or when you do it, if the quality and results remain high”. Assuming that there are certain activities that require in person meetings, or participation at specific times of course. But for focus time or independent work, I have always been able to decide when and where I bring my best to work.

This is cultural to a certain extent, as different countries have different business cultures and traditions, are hierarchical or flat organisationally, and have different views on accountabilities and responsibilities etc. But it is also related to the nature of your work, or the industry you work in. For me as a knowledge worker it is much easier to be given, and take, that kind of responsibility then it is for others. I get that.

But the productivity paranoia is not exclusively seen in non-knowledge worker organisations, and that is the scenario I want to address here.

To me it is natural to be accountable for my work, and the approach most of my managers have taken, therefore makes perfect sense to me – why should my boss dictate that I am the most productive/creative/innovative at my desk, between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm? If I am working on a strategic initiative, authoring a paper, or wrestling a problem, perhaps I think better during an 8-mi run than I do at my desk? If I cannot focus on Thursday afternoon but wake up on Saturday morning with a great idea and/or solution, is it not better for me (and the outcome) that I address it then? If I deliver on time and against expectations, meet my all-up goals and objectives – what does it matter from where or when I perform my work?

Working “long” or being “busy”, are not in my experience signs of productivity, creativity, or innovation. It is much more likely to reflect the exact opposites. Not to mention the personal impact in terms of frustration, demoralisation, and pure stress that it can so easily generate in us as individuals. I think it is safe to say that most of us need to feel empowered and responsible for our own work and our own lives.

In my opinion, we need work-life integration – not work-life balance. We need to be allowed to do things that generate energy and inspiration throughout the workday. Not only produce, produce, produce, until we are completely drained, simply to meet a specific set of hours or time stamps. To me this quickly becomes a classic case of quality vs. quantity, and I strongly believe that we would all be a lot more productive if we had that freedom – and that trust from our managements.

And yes, of course, trust is earned and not something we are awarded by default. But I think there is enough quantitative?data, empirical evidence, and qualitative data from the last 2.5 years, to prove that most of us have in fact earned that trust. And that mutual respect.

In fact, often another problem has manifested over the last 2.5 years: people are working too much, too long and without enough breaks. In some cases, the average work week increased by over 8 hours per week a mere six months into the pandemic. Companies and leaders were ecstatic at the productivity increase at first but then started seeing that innovation was dropping instead (Microsoft WTI 2021). Not strange, is it? If people on average go from a 40-hour week to a 48-hour week over night, at some point health and happiness must eventually be impacted. Factors that many modern researchers deem crucial for inspiration, creativity, and innovation.

So, this is not only a question about productivity – it is a question about individual and organisational wellbeing and innovation, but most importantly: sustainability!

Work-life Sustainability is not only about trust, happiness or work-life integration – it is about inclusion, employee engagement and about creating a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose for each individual in the organisation. I consider this a defining moment in my career and an opportunity to impact my employment- and work-life conditions, and I will come back to those other factors in subsequent articles.

What are your thoughts on Work-life Sustainability? What are the key factors that impact you and your work-life integration? What is the most important aspect to make you feel happy, healthy, and motivated?

Comment away below! Share your feedback, your thoughts, and your experiences. And by all means, share this newsletter with your networks, if you find it interesting and relevant!

<< As always, views and opinions here are my own and not affiliated or representative of my current, or previous employers. >>