The Difference Between Looking Productive and Actually Being Productive

Productivity is something you can clearly observe in many workplaces. Reactions to events and activity levels can indicate to people around you that you are being productive. However, there may be a disconnect between what you observe and what is actually happening. Switching tasks actually decreases efficiency and increases errors, as found by a research paper by Rubinstein, Meyer, and Evans, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology (2001). This can make you appear to be busy, but you may actually be slowing your progress.

Another psychological bias at play is the ‘mere urgency effect,’ which is described in research conducted at Columbia Business School by Zhu, Yang, and Hsee in 2018. It suggests that individuals tend to focus on urgent tasks rather than those important for the long run. This behavior may also be reflected in the workplace, where responding to urgent matters may result in the impression of increased productivity, even if it does not really impact the long-term results in a meaningful way. Technology plays a role in this phenomenon as well. The American Psychological Association suggests that constant interruptions caused by emails and messages have a fragmenting effect. This means that employees could end up spending more time working on communication rather than working on something worthwhile, and this is a cycle that is characterized by activity rather than depth. It is true that employees are often judged by the level of effort they put into their work. This is according to the Harvard Business Review, which argues that employees are often judged more favorably if they are seen to be working hard, even if they are producing the same as other employees. This is because working hard is immediate and tangible, whereas working productively is not. Working productively is a cumulative process that requires employees to have more focus and clearer priorities.

It also creates tension between perception and result for the employees. Taking action quickly and remaining visible and active may help to reinforce the image of professionalism. Taking more time and working in a more focused manner may result in better outcomes, but may also result in less immediate recognition. The difference between this and the previous point is that it changes how productivity is measured. It implies that it is not necessarily what is most visible that is most important. The issue is not just how to work more, but how to understand what is effective and what is merely perceptual.