What We Get Wrong About Productivity and “Hard Work” |
Most workplaces have a story about productivity that contradicts the science of how humans actually perform.
The pressure to perform productivity can lead people to avoid the very resources that would optimize it.
Your story about "hard work" may be undermining organizational goals and wellness investments.
You can have the appearance of productivity or actual productivity. You probably can't have both.
Western culture has a familiar story about what a highly productive, committed employee looks like. You probably know this person. You may have been this person—or felt pressured to be.
They’re the one who stays anchored to their desk, is always available, responds immediately to questions or needs, stays late, pushes through when tired, over-delivers, and never takes breaks.
This “hard worker” story is so pervasive that it often doesn’t feel like a story. It just feels like the truth: This is what a good, committed person does at work. This is what it looks like to be productive and reliable.
But this story warrants some serious side-eyeing. Because, as it turns out, science tells a different one.
The Science of Knowledge Work
Research on cognitive performance shows that sustained output requires working in focused intervals—with regular breaks built in for restoration. Most people can only do a limited amount of peak cognitive work in a day; the expectation of eight uninterrupted hours of top-level thinking is not based on science. Studies also tell us that restorative aesthetics, quality rest, and time for play can all improve focus, creativity, and the quality of what we produce.
This is roughly the opposite of what the “hard worker,” put-your-head-down-and-grind story prescribes. It reveals two stories about productivity: one we think looks right, and one that works.
So what happens when we........