Ducks In A Row: Do You Want Busy Or Productive?
by Miki SaxonA senior manager I work with is having high turnover because he’s rewarding and promoting those who are busy instead of those who are productive.
He’s concerned when his people aren’t busy. He believes that if they have they aren’t working they must be slacking or are under-utilized in their position and gives no thought to their productivity.
In a comment Jim Gordon said, “In school, people are taught to do WORK and not to be productive (well, they don’t say “don’t be productive,” but rather “stay busy”). The problem is that of conforming to peoples’ constant need to stay busy. Often “work” is seen as productivity – if you are one who is productive and you aren’t busy, people consider that to be counter-productive. So the tragic upshot of this perception is that you have to put forth equivalent “work” alongside them. The result is a lot of work and a little production.”
A manager who focuses on ‘busy’ instead of ‘productive’ will not only alienate her best experienced people, but also drive away her most promising new talent who, like Jim Gordon, do know the difference.
Always being busy may be visually impressive, but it lacks substance and leaves people exhausted.
Productivity drives success, both the company’s and the manager’s, but it’s also necessary for individual self esteem—it’s what gives people satisfaction in a job well done and energizes them.
So the choice is yours.
Do you want your people productive, excited, up for the challenge or busy, bored and polishing their resumes?
Your comments—priceless
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Image credit: ZedBee|Zoë Power on flickr
