Let's Dismantle The Cult Of Productivity
I want to talk about productivity, and why the productivity illusion that's being sold by everyone from self-help gurus to douchey tech bros is a lie.
We've hit peak productivity rage. Google the term "Productivity Hacks" and you'll be served more than 16.6 million results. Yeah, I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
The same cliches are being repeated by lifestyle bloggers, tech evangelists, and even quasi health device makers, like this blog from Chirp. They are all telling us how to get more done or do more with the less. The problem is that Americans are maxed out, and they are doing more work for less reward.
Instead, let's do less. Here's why.
We are in a pandemic people, and stress levels are soaring. Gallup reports that as of August 2020, U.S. satisfaction is at a dismal 13%. According to regular tracking that's been ongoing since 1979, "Satisfaction now sits just six points above the all-time low in October 2008 immediately following sharp drops in the U.S. stock market during the global financial crisis."
Extra hours are counterproductive. A 2014 Stanford University study, found that “long weekly hours and long daily hours do not necessarily yield high output.” Productivity per hour falls after a person works more than 50 hours a week. And after 55 hours, productivity plummets. Those who work up to 70 hours a week are only getting the same amount of work done as those who worked 55 hours.
The vast majority of American workers reap minimal financial benefit from putting in extra hours. From 1979 to 2018 productivity has grown 6.0x more than pay. According to the report from the Economic Policy Institute:
"From 1979 to 2018, net productivity rose 108.1 percent, while the hourly pay of typical workers essentially stagnated—increasing only 11.6 percent over 39 years (after adjusting for inflation). This means that although Americans are working more productively than ever, the fruits of their labors have primarily accrued to those at the top and to corporate profits, especially in recent years."
The takeaway: you are better off with some Netflix and chill versus extra hours at the laptop.
The Business World Doesn’t Care About Workers or the Consequences of Productivity Porn
Tone-deaf executives who implore Americans, during a pandemic, to do the following are part of the problem. This guy notes, "We must work hard. We must take a lesson from our grandparents and great-grandparents, who used times of extreme difficulty, like the Great Depression and world wars, to take more action, not less. They worked harder than they ever had before in order to keep their way of life strong."
He also thinks that fostering productivity among your staff = being an asshole, with gems like "you will likely have to increase your cadence and intensity when it comes to checking in [on your team]."
Uh-huh.
What the hell does this micro-managing monster's opinion have to do with productivity? Everything.
He's trying to sell tacky clothing to consumers who aren't spending on those kinds of items right now. In fact, since the pandemic, savings (for those who can afford it) are increasing, while consumer spending is dropping.
Okay, so what does this have to do with productivity?
The tacky online clothing retailer got an injection of private equity funding last year. These kinds of deals are notorious for (and I adore this headline) "Being the Enemy of the Working People."
So if the majority of consumers don't return to pre-pandemic ways (which were pretty dismal, honestly) they are less likely to go back to the mindless spending habits that this guy thought was gonna make him millions. Which is why he is publicly advocating micromanaging employees. He's afraid that we are becoming woke.
So remind me, what the hell is this newsletter about, and why do I want to subscribe?
Over the coming weeks and months, let's talk about ways we can actually accomplish our goals without further eroding our sanity or falling victim to the belief that more is better. Let's do less with less and learn how to make time for the most important things while kicking bad productivity gurus and the busy trap to the curb.
I'm eventually considering turning this into a paid newsletter, but it will remain free for now (and to anyone who signs up early) while I figure out a regular posting schedule. Stay tuned …