‘I don’t have time to explain...’: Why some managers hide behind busyness

In most workplaces across the country in the United States, it is a common phenomenon to come across managers in various organizations that seem to be extremely busy, attending meetings and sending emails in real time, and often seem to have no time to explain things to others. However, this is often misconstrued as a sign of high productivity and commitment from such managers.

However, it has been suggested that such a trait from managers may be a sign of poor management skills and not high productivity.

A study by Heike Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal suggested that around 90 percent of managers spend most of their time in activities that are not significant in producing results, as suggested by a study published in PubMed.

Why managers hide behind busyness

The underlying causes for this behavior may extend beyond the actual workload and may relate more to the organizational pressures and tendencies. For instance, the manager may feel the pressure of appearing busy as a reflection of importance and/or productivity, especially in an organizational culture that values activity more than reflection and effective management.

As per Bernstein’s findings, when managers feel constantly observed or evaluated, they may respond by amplifying visible busyness rather than investing time in communication, which ultimately lowers the quality of supervision instead of improving it.

From an employee’s point of view, a manager who continually communicates their lack of time to explain can quickly become viewed as unavailability or lack of interest.

Research published on PubMed indicates that a lack of managerial engagement is significantly related to low job satisfaction and poor interpersonal relationships within an organization. Employees may become reluctant to pose a query due to a lack of engagement.

Such a lack of communication can quietly escalate to a more serious problem, where groups are operating on a lack of information, which can result in avoidable mistakes and a lack of efficiency.

The role of the Transparency Paradox

The Transparency Paradox introduces a new dimension in this process with the observation of how a situation of too much monitoring or pressure may affect the behavior of the employee in an unforeseen manner. A study found in BMC Psychology states that in a situation of too much monitoring, the employee may develop a phenomenon referred to as “task masking,” in which the employee pretends to be engaged in work in order to avoid the appearance of not working.

This is not because the employee is not interested in working, but because of the anxiety and confusion in trying to emulate the trend set by the leadership. The leadership may be more interested in doing than explaining, and the employee may emulate the leadership in the same way.

The psychological impact of such behavior, especially in a high-pressure workplace, can have serious effects. When workers feel that their efforts are not being acknowledged or supported, it could lead to emotional exhaustion, demotivation, and a general decline in their mental well-being.

According to research mentioned on PubMed, a lack of proper communication by managers leads to increased stress levels and reduced job satisfaction, which could eventually affect turnover rates. Workers may not feel motivated, not because of their job, but because of a lack of proper communication.

Impact on productivity and workplace culture

At an organizational level, the effects of managerial busyness go beyond individual instances and begin to impact organizational culture. For example, if managers prioritize busyness over accessibility, employees may also follow their lead, and the organizational culture may begin to favor busyness over productivity.

As emphasized by various studies conducted by PubMed and BMC Psychology, effective communication reduces uncertainty, promotes effective decision-making, and boosts employee involvement in their respective roles.

When managers take the time to communicate, not only do they achieve their desired goals, but they also enhance their workplace relationships.

A closer look

This belief that busyness is equal to effectiveness is something that is highly ingrained in many professional settings, though there is a level of research that indicates this is something that needs to be looked at further, especially where managerial busyness is concerned, as this is not always a sign of productivity.

Understanding this concept is where organizations can start to reassess their definition of effective management, rather than busyness, to increase engagement, which is good for all parties.