It’s not the quantity of work we produce that matters. We have to stay focused on what’s really important and complete it well.

Tom dashed about the auto parts store. When the phone rang, he jumped to answer. He would neaten the storeroom in the back and then appear quickly to help a customer at the counter. When the customer departed, he was back at his desk, drifting through a pile of invoices, only to be interrupted as he grabbed the phone on the first ring. Tom was a bundle of energy, always in constant motion. His boss was impressed and pointed out that Tom was his star employee. However, you have to wonder if Tom is carrying the business on his back through superhuman effort or if he’s accomplishing much at all through his perpetual motion. Often, we confuse intense activity with getting things done. There is a difference.

Consider these three groups of people who look good, but don’t deliver:

    • The boasters. Boasters are always telling you about what they’re going to do rather than what they’ve done. For example, Jan, a salesman, would consistently turn in contact reports listing the new business he had generated. However, when the real amount of business was reviewed, the business actually received was far less. He would impress others by the volume of calls he made and the glowing reports, but he was bragging about business that never materialised. We need to document actual results to verify those great stories.
    • The movers. Movers are in constant motion, but they accomplish very little. To quote an old proverb ‘It is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who makes haste with his feet errs’. Mary constantly fumbled papers on her desk and looked busy to all who passed by. Often, after reviewing a document, she’d just toss it onto another pile. She would handle the same paper four to five times before passing it on or asking a related question. Until her boss measured the work actually accomplished, she was viewed as a model employee. You need to clearly identify the work to be done and measure the work accomplished to know if the work you do is valid and on target, or just a bunch of fluff.
    • The non-finishers. Non-finishers start with an outbreak of action, and though they might continue to move forward, they never get to the finish line. The time worked is then of little value. Shawn was great at starting. He’d start to clean up the storeroom, then start to resolve old invoices, and then start following up on overdue accounts. Unfortunately, while Shawn worked a lot of hours, he got little work done completely, negating most of his efforts. Workers may be very active, but until a job is completed, the company fails to receive the benefit of that work.

Employers must dig below the surface and manage the business in a way that understands, respects and rewards those who are truly productive … rather than those who just look busy.

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to know more about improving productivity.