More working hours fail to reflect more outcomes
Unlike the industrial era, where work could be divided into clear, measurable parts, the productivity of knowledge workers is driven by their creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Today, there is no standard unit for measuring efficiency because there are now multiple decisions made by this kind of worker to maintain a company’s sustainability and growth. The correlation between the amount of effort exerted (i.e. hours worked) and the quality of outcomes is no longer straightforward.
Behind burnout: inadequate allocation of people talent
According to the World Health Organization, there are several factors that can contribute to burnout, such as an excessive workload, the fear of job loss, technology overload, and more. Joel Goh (2015) estimated that burnout could cost annually between $125 to $190 billion (USD) and one of its main drivers arises from management practices.
One such practice is related to the challenges that managers assign to their team. Burnout often arises when individuals ill-suited to solving certain problems are placed in challenging roles. According to Csikszentmihalyi’s flow model, individuals experience a state of optimal engagement when they are in a state of flow. So, when the level of the challenge is too high compared to the individual’s skill level, it can lead to anxiety and frustration that drives people to burnout.
To make visible an insightful stat, according to Our World in Data site, 53.4% who suffered from anxiety or depression made a change related to their work situation to deal with it.
One practice that can help you as a leader is to ensure a skill–challenge balance when assigning roles and responsibilities to individuals. This can be implemented by using some practices of Management 3.0, like the Team Competency Matrix and Team Decision Matrix.
The appearance of productivity as wasteful
Always having a task to do is not synonymous with high productivity. Jessica Stillman (2022) explains behaviors of ‘Productivity Theater’ in which leaders make individuals believe that being constantly connected to their job, whether in remote or in-person settings, means they are more engaged or valuable to the organization.
Low productivity and talent waste
You know people within your organization that could be a superstar, but they have a leader who fails to make it possible for them to shine. Talent waste occurs when capable individuals are focused on the wrong problems, missing opportunities to drive significant value.
In the 21st century, the widespread practice must be the one that encourages workers to use their full potential. However, the way we assigned work in the 20th century was organized by the title of your job and how it fit within a functional hierarchy.
The other face of the game: from people as a resource to people as an investment
In the 21st century, organizations must adapt to a diverse workforce comprising different generations – like Baby Boomers, Gen. X, Millennials, Centennials, and other new workers’ behaviors – to understand the needs of their employees and harness their full potential.
According to Stephen R. Covey, four essential needs – love, live, learn, and leave a legacy – persist across all age groups. However, how these needs are fulfilled will vary. Leaders must shift from viewing employees as expenses to recognizing them as investments, investing in their growth and well-being.
AI technology as the door to a high-productivity and well-being era
The ways of working within companies will continue to evolve, and employees must possess learning agility to adapt to new contexts and act with a sense of urgency to keep a business profitable and growing. Technology, particularly AI, will be the main catalyst for change in the 21st century. AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, Bing, Bard, Gamma, and more offer the potential to liberate time and democratize well-being in the workplace. This will lead us into a new era – the wisdom era – in which knowledge workers can leverage technology to enhance their productivity and focus on meaningful outcomes.
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