'Productivity Theater' Is Hurting Your Business. Here's How To Make It Stop

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You may have heard the old saying, "Look busy – the boss is coming." It's a classic example of productivity theater, the art of appearing productive without necessarily getting anything done. 

With remote work, a tough economy, and the rise of productivity-tracking software, this age-old practice has taken on a new level of complexity. As tech has enabled employers to track work down to the level of a mouse click, employees have responded by prioritizing visible work over important tasks or even deploying their own tech to fool the system. It’s a zero-sum game that nobody wins.

Here’s why productivity theater is growing and what to do about it.

The diminishing returns of productivity tracking

Since COVID, the number of large companies using productivity trackers has grown by more than 60 percent, according to researchers at Gartner. Many companies misuse these programs as surveillance tools rather than track useful measurements of organizational effectiveness. This is not just irritating to employees, who can feel untrusted or offended, it encourages productivity theater.

In a recent Visier poll of 1,000 full-time U.S. workers, 83% of respondents admitted to engaging in performative work behaviors in the past 12 months. That was true for employees working remotely, in-person or hybrid. 

Forty-three percent said they spend more than 10 hours a week on performative work behaviors, like responding to messages and emails as quickly as possible, attending unnecessary meetings or keeping their laptop screen awake when they weren’t working.

More tracking of the same old metrics isn’t the answer. Instead, we need to get to the root of the problem.

In reality, the conversation we should be having isn’t about “productivity” at all. It’s about results. 

What is ‘productivity’ anyway?

For many employees, “productivity” brings to mind the image of a nosy boss hovering over their shoulders — a source of needless stress and anxiety. Indeed, in one recent survey, 59% of employees reported that they were stressed or anxious about their employers’ monitoring of their online activities.

But, from an employer's perspective, tracking work progress is essential. The plain truth is that any organization must understand how resources are used and if they’re being used effectively. 

This isn't a question of trust, and the underlying objective has little to do with surveillance. Instead, it’s a matter of visibility (Where are we putting energy right now?), alignment (Is that what makes the most sense for the business?), and improvement (Are there ways we can do this better?). 

In reality, the conversation we should be having isn’t about “productivity” at all. It’s about results. 

That’s why a critical first step for organizations hoping to quash productivity theater is to shift focus from inputs to outputs. 

Suppose a company has a team of salespeople responsible for generating new leads and converting them into customers. An input-based approach might track time spent on cold calling or email outreach. But these “productivity metrics” offer no visibility into effectiveness.

By looking instead at outputs, organizations can see what’s working and what’s not. In this example, key outputs might include new leads, qualified leads deeper in the sales funnel, and landed customers. Measuring these outputs ensures efforts are aligned or prompts course correction when not. 

Armed with this data, a company may decide they have enough leads in the mid-pipeline and that the sales team should focus on converting those leads into customers. The question shifts from. “Are you working hard enough?” to “Are we working effectively?” 

It’s not ‘what’ but ‘how’

Another important step in short-circuiting productivity theater is to stop asking what people are doing and start analyzing how they’re doing it. 

We now have the data and software to help us understand how people work best — and what might be getting in the way — rather than simply monitoring work. The latest smart tools move far beyond binary metrics like mouse clicks to explore employees’ daily footprint on an organization.

For example, organizational network analysis (ONA) platforms can crunch emails, meeting invites, calendars, Slack and Teams messages, and other communication channels to provide valuable insights into how teams collaborate and what blockers are frustrating progress.

These tools can surface an organization's true “water carriers” — the people at the heart of critical initiatives and projects — who may otherwise go unnoticed. They can also flag burnout potential: If your developers are in meetings for seven hours each day, when do they have time to write code? Analyzing schedules allows managers to make necessary adjustments to protect focus time.

Choose culture over software

Ultimately, the antidote to productivity theater isn’t really software or technology. High-performing organizations —  where teams row together, where efficiency and engagement are cornerstones — are driven by culture. Their success has little to do with metrics and everything to do with purpose. 

A strong and inspiring mission can create a sense of purpose for employees, giving them something to rally behind. Whether that’s a lofty goal, like Patagonia's mission to “save our home planet," or something more immediate, like Nintendo’s mission, “to put smiles on the faces of everyone we touch,” a clear mission provides a North Star to inspire and guide teams.  

Equally important is employee experience, including opportunities for learning and growth, work-life balance, and recognition for achievements. Google is known for its continuous learning and development culture, offering employees opportunities to take courses and attend conferences to enhance their skills. This holistic experience, rather than any productivity tracker, keeps people driven and on task. 

Pay, too, is a critical lever. But while competitive compensation is an important consideration, it’s easy to give it too much importance. To truly understand what motivates employees, companies need to ask them directly. Conducting surveys or focus groups can provide valuable insights into what employees value most in their work experience.

Ultimately, if employees turn to productivity theater to prove their value, it’s up to company leaders to stop incentivizing performative work. Whether the setting is remote or in the office, getting the most out of people starts not with tracking and surveillance but with transparency, clarity of purpose, and clear goalposts.

At the end of the day, an excited, engaged employee doesn’t have time to pretend to be busy. 

Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear what you’re seeing in your own industry, so feel free to pop your thoughts into the comments below. For more news and ideas around people data in the workplace, be sure to subscribe.

(A version of this post originally appeared in Fast Company.)