Productivity Paranoia? Hey Managers, Are You Doing Your Job?

This episode was originally published in March of 2023. We were coming out of COVID and work at home was very popular, and yet it was a bone of contention for some. In the current environment, the work from home concept remains popular among workers, but the contentious disagreement extends from the boardroom to the White House. I think it's a good time to take another look at the managers role in the work from home debate.

Episode Transcript

(00:10):
Welcome to The Water Trough,where we can't make you drink,
but we will make you think.
My name is Ed Drozda, the SmallBusiness Doctor, and I'm really
excited you chose to join mehere as we discuss topics that
are important for small businessfolks just like you.
If you're looking for ideas,inspiration, and possibility,
you've come to the right place.
Join us as we take steps to helpyou create the healthy business
that you've always wanted.

(00:41):
There's a new term going aroundthe office these days.
It's called productivityparanoia.
I imagine you probably heardabout it.
And perhaps you're one of thosethat is experiencing it
yourself.
Productivity paranoia is thatconcept that, people are not as
productive as they say they are.
The term productivity, paranoia.

(01:02):
Was coined by Microsoft CEO.
Satya Nadella.
In a recent report and workplacetrends.
And that report, it was foundthat 87% of employees said.
That they're productive at work,but only 12% of senior leaders
have full confidence.
That their team is beingproductive.
Now, certainly since the Dawn ofCOVID.

(01:22):
There has been a greateremphasis on remote work.
And this is something thatreally brought this to bear
people.
Working at home.
Out of the sight of theirmanagers and their peers leads
one to believe that productivitycan not possibly be as it used
to be.
In fact.
When people have the option to.

(01:43):
take breaks as they wish theycan go off and have food at any
time.
They can entertain guests,whatever they want to do during
the Workday.
It's clearly.
Expected that productivity houseto fall.
The bureau of labor statisticshas actually evaluated the
productivity rates and hasdetermined that the rates are

(02:04):
the lowest on record since 1947.
And of course, this adds to thefear, the worry that we are in
fact to society.
Of less and less engagedemployees.
Who's productivity is simply aBismal.
But let's think about this for amoment.
Productivity has never beensomething.

(02:25):
That is meant to be out of theeyes of management.
One of the fundamentalprinciples of management is.
The concept of control.
Uh, when I say control.
I don't mean.
Watching over peoplemicromanaging and being certain
that they're doing what youthought or what you said they
should be doing.

(02:46):
No control is the fact.
Based.
Observation.
About whether or not things arebeing done according to
standards.
In the control function ofmanagement, we create standards
that are realistic.
Standards that are agreed uponnot only by those who were
managing.
Uh, activities, but those whoare performing those activities.

(03:10):
The standards are establishedand they are well disseminated
so that no one.
Is unaware of their existenceand the reason for them.
With these standards we create.
Metrics things that we canobserve and measure.
That is to say, we want toassess whether or not the
standards are being met.

(03:31):
And then finally.
We look at those measurements todetermine if in fact.
We are.
In a state of control.
Productivity is certainly one ofthese things that we can look
for through a variety ofmetrics.
What is our output?
Per unit output per individualor per line in a manufacturing

(03:52):
facility, for example.
With that information, themanager is then able to
determine what needs to be done.
Yeah, things are going well.
Well, let's find out why they'regoing well and make sure that we
capitalize on that and do itagain.
And if they're not meeting thestandards that have been set.

(04:13):
Let's figure out what the reasonfor that is.
And take corrective action.
So that we can prevent that.
Decline.
In productivity that decline.
In reaching the standards thatwe've set for ourselves.
But you see that this is amanagerial function.
The idea.

(04:34):
That we are concerned about ouremployees.
Ability to be productive.
The idea that simply perhapsbecause they're out of sight.
That they may not be working upto par.
Is really not getting close tothe source.
Of the issue.
A good manager has to have.

(04:57):
A good control function.
And lacking that.
The manager.
Is not doing their job.
If we have people working athome, just as much as if they're
working in.
Our workplace.
We have to still set standardsfor what is expected of them.
If it's expected in theworkplace that I'm going to

(05:17):
achieve.
X units of output per.
Given day.
It doesn't matter if I'm workingat home.
Or in the office.
If I'm able to achieve that.
That is the expectation.
If it's clearly felt.
That more can be done.
The standards should be adjustedaccordingly.

(05:39):
So that I'm expected to do more.
It may well be.
That there is more visible timeto fill in after all let's face
it.
We during the workplace, it'seasy to say, Hey, you got
nothing to do.
Can you do this for me as well?
Okay, fine.
That might be something thatyou'll miss.
If someone's working remotely.

(06:00):
But it doesn't excuse us fromhaving adequate control over the
process.
To simply lament that ouremployees are not doing enough.
Aren't doing their job.
Is basically.
Managers ignoring their own.
Job.
So then I ask you.
What are you doing?
To manage your productivity,paranoia.

(06:24):
Are you actually paranoid?
About what is not being done.
If you are aware of the fact.
That things are not getting doneas they should.
What are you doing about it?
And if you merely sense, thethings are not getting done as
they should.
Do you realize where you've comeup short that it's your

(06:45):
responsibility to not sense, butto know the status of the
output.
Within your employee group.
It's very easy to get caught upin things like the productivity
rates that have been describedby the bureau of labor
statistics and say, yeah, see.
People are not productive asthey used to be.
But on a one-to-one basis.

(07:07):
You the manager and youremployees.
You have the ability you havethe capacity.
You have the opportunity.
To maintain adequate controlover productivity.
And it's your job to do justthat.
Just because statistics say.

(07:29):
The productivity is as low aslevel on record since 1947.
Does not mean it has to be thatway.
And your organization.
It's not good enough for amanager to sit back and say,
Hey, look at that.
It's bad all around and bemoan.
The fact that there's two mustbe poor.
Managers are designed to beproactive.

(07:50):
Managers are.
Designed to get things donethrough people.
That means working carefullywith people.
Paying attention to what they'redoing.
And ensuring that they have thestandards against which to
measure their performance, aswell as the resources and tools
to get the job done.

(08:10):
This is If you are feeling thatproductivity, paranoia.
Take a good look in the mirror.
Are you doing your job?
I'll see you next time.