Summary

The article "Is Productivity Killing Us?" questions the current corporate culture's emphasis on long hours and fast-paced work as the primary drivers of productivity, suggesting that these practices may be counterproductive and detrimental to employee well-being and true motivation.

Abstract

The article challenges the traditional belief that increased working hours equate to higher productivity, pointing out that despite a slight increase in productivity over recent decades, American business culture still pressures employees to work excessively long hours. It argues that technology, particularly the internet, has been the true catalyst for productivity growth, not the number of hours worked. The piece also criticizes the assumptions that faster work and higher pay inherently lead to greater productivity and employee motivation. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of understanding what truly motivates employees, such as rest, health, and a life outside of work. Citing research by psychologist Guy Claxton, the article suggests that slower, intuitive thinking can lead to better problem-solving and innovation, contrary to the fast-paced, deadline-driven business environment. It concludes that productivity should not be the sole measure of success in business, advocating for a focus on the deeper needs of employees, such as the need to be fruitful, not just productive.

Opinions

The prevailing corporate culture's push for ever-increasing productivity is unsustainable and harmful.
The belief that longer work hours lead to higher productivity is misguided; most people can only work optimally for

Is Productivity Killing Us?

Photo by Carl Heyerdahl, Image Source, on Unsplash

Do you feel that you are being pushed to your physical and psychological limits by time pressures and the sheer volume of work?

Are we destroying ourselves and our planet with the continual push for growth?

Sound like corporate heresy?

According to the US Department of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics there was only a slight increase in productivity in the last few decades. And the productivity increase has been attributed to advances in technology, especially the internet as well as the fact that business is doing more with less.

Nonetheless, American business still operates under the belief that:

“The more hours employees work, the more productive they are.”

In addition, as we will see, business also (falsely) assumes that:

“The faster employees work, the more they accomplish,” and “The more employees are paid, the more motivated they are to be productive.”

Based on the increase in productivity in relation to the significant increase in hours worked, we may conclude — at least on this point — that we were wrong on what makes employees productive.

Now what? Certainly not push harder. Unfortunately, that’s what corporate culture is continuing to do.

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. It’s no wonder that employees are feeling pressure.

Consider a typical employee’s work situation. He or she grinds out twelve-hour days, with up to two-hour commutes, and less than three weeks vacation per year. Moreover, with the advent electronic devices and social networking capabilities, the distinction between personal and business time has become blurred.

So where do we go from here? How can we restore employees so they feel inspired rather than used up?

First, we need to question our beliefs about productivity.

Next, we need to look deeper to discover what really motivates employees to be productive.

Finally, we need to know how an employees’ deeper needs relate to the quality of the work they produce.

Consider the belief “The more hours employees work the more productive they are.”

It is common knowledge that most people who are rested and healthy can work at optimal levels for six to seven hours a day.

Occasionally, in a burst of energy or inspiration, employees can perform optimally for an additional two or three hours. Then they need to rest.

We also need to have a life outside of work. It may seem a surprise to learn that many employees would forgo a salary increase (with a longer work day) for time off for themselves and their family.

A study conducted by the International Labor Organization concluded that employees “would happily accept lower incomes in exchange for working fewer hours.”

If working longer hours is not the answer to increased productivity, then what about working faster? This belief was challenged by psychologist Guy Claxton in his book

Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind: How Intelligence Increases When You Think Less

Claxton summarized research which strongly indicates that

some problems are better solved by slower paced, intuitive thinking which originates from the unconscious mind rather than the fast-paced, analytical, “meet-the-deadline” thinking with which we are all more familiar.

This finding flies in the face of prevailing business practices which demand fast, logical thinking as the way to solve business problems.

Contrary to popular belief, at times we need to learn how to slow down our thinking rather than speed it up. This is especially true, Claxton argues, for the development of complex and original ideas.

Generally, in what people are looking for in a job,

they consistently ranked not pay but interest in the job
the sheer pleasure of working
the opportunity for collaboration through group decision making well above financial compensation.

So, if employees are not more productive when they work longer and do not accomplish more when they work faster, what drives people to work at their best?

First, it needs to be emphasized that productivity, obviously, is a good thing. If companies were not productive, as measured by a healthy financial base, we would all be out of work. However, that said, productivity should not be the only way of viewing our relationship to work. Consider the words of Henry Ford:

“Business must be run for a profit….else it will die. But when anyone tries to run a business solely for a profit…then also the business must die, for it no longer has a reason for existence.

What is the reason for the existence of a business if it is not just for profit? The answer is to be found within the true assets of every business, its people, and their deeper needs — the need to be not simply productive, but fruitful.

My next posting “Fruitfulness Matters” (https://readmedium.com/688cf61e8603)