businessJan 6, 20241:04:03pending

Lies - Productivity is Output Divided By Input - DBR 012

Do Busy Right - The Task and Attention Management Podcast

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About this episode

The lie here is that outputs divided by inputs is the right way to measure our productivity.

I believe that we're thinking about productivity in the wrong ways. Particularly when it comes to knowledge workers, we use similar thoughts and equations for knowledge worker productivity that we use for factory productivity or efficiency. I want to dive into some of the differences that may indicate that we're thinking about this whole thing the wrong way.

A clear problem statement is, we seem to be attacking the productivity problem the same way we attacked, and frankly, solved the efficiency problem in factories. We see productivity equations for knowledge workers that are the same as productivity equations for factories: productivity or efficiency is defined as outputs divided by inputs.

Well, there are a few problems with that, based on differences between knowledge work, and the product of knowledge work, versus factory production, and the product of factories. So the argument is, efficiency, which is some ratio of output to input, is not the right way to think of knowledge worker productivity.

Factory models probably don't apply to knowledge work

repetition

process design and engineering in factories
process is an outgrowth of multiple iterations of solving the same problem - medicine
knowledge workers really don't do repetition (more later)

measurability

factory inputs are measurable because they're physical
quality is directly measurable
A clue: knowledge work is the hardest input to measure in factories

Factories don't really use time anyway

time is an outcome, not an input
factories can buy more 'time' – its expandable

Fundamental differences in work, but we use the same productivity equations

Compare knowledge work

knowledge work inputs are less tangible – experience, learning, creativity
knowledge work is not 'manufactured'; problem solving as exemplary knowledge work
we don't know much about the problem-solving process
any solution is potentially a good result
medicine as an example of problem solving
medical diagnosis as applied experience – reasoning by analogy
primary knowledge work difference - Never solve the same problem twice
portability of knowledge work solutions

Challenges to using time as the input

knowledge work outputs are not manufactured
ideas and solutions are the result of trial-and-error
billing for time as a knowledge worker – an accommodation
formerly knowledge workers got paid by controlling the medium of delivery of information
writers don't bill for their time
modern erosion of media as transmission
information consumption is largely free

Billing for results

the Henry Ford story/legend
knowledge workers should be able to bill for results more often
lawyers bill for solutions, but people get upset
authors do it this way

Productivity has a lot to do with avoiding waste

waste one – task switching
waste two – over-producing quality, knowledge workers need to control quality
waste three - Re-finding previous solutions

Symptoms of not having good productivity measures, of not understanding productivity

Multitasking
Working too many hours
moving tasks along Symptom: no clear priority
deadline-driven

The other mindset - focus is the number one input

result one – break habits associated with symptoms
result two of other mindset – protect our focus
result three – grow our focus Wrap up results

Tools to support the new mindset

timer
more mindfulness (reading is a good start)
more thinking -> greater mindfulness -> greater focus
backlog of tasks
psychological tool - confidence

A primary takeaway is to be careful to not overuse time as an input in measuring your productivity. Time is only useful as a container for focused effort. Work on your focus and your time might just take care of itself.