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The Alternative Productivity Manifesto

Sea of Cubicles (Stewf) 2
Photo by Chance Gardener

Since World War II, productivity in the U.S. has doubled. So we should be working 20-hour work weeks, right? Well, we’re not. We’re working more. In fact, we’re working more than medieval peasants, and the 40-hour work week hasn’t changed since 1940 even though productivity levels have been growing steadily since then (and if you’re involved in small business starting, then your situation has probably gotten worse). Productivity simply isn’t helping most people: it’s not making them happier or leading to more free time.

David Allen Speaking (Chance Gardener)The Productivity Industrial Complex

You and your company need to get things done – lots of things[.] You have invested heavily in the human factor … but are you getting all the results from your people that you could? Are they maximizing their output?
-The David Allen Company

Photo by Stewf
The Productivity Industrial Complex is a marriage between corporations and an entire industry of productivity companies, gurus, consultants, and solution-makers who help corporations squeeze every ounce of productivity from their workers. Organizations like The David Allen Company, for example, make the bulk of their income from corporations looking to “maximize their employee output,” and it’s no surprise that they have a Fortune 500-studded client list which includes Lockheed Martin, Deloitte & Touche, and the U.S. Department of Defense (see here for more of his clients).

This manifesto is largely a response to the Productivity Industrial Complex . . .

Alternative Productivity’s Tenets

  1. “Productivity” is an Industrial Era economics term that applies to factories, machines, and economies. When applied to people it often has a dehumanizing effect and negates both individual differences and unique talents.
  2. If your productivity increases, but your pay stays the same, then you’re effectively taking a pay cut (same goes if you begin working longer hours for the same pay).
  3. The 40-hour work week hasn’t changed since 1940 and is ridiculously outdated.
  4. If you’re consistently having trouble focusing, it’s often because you’re focusing on the wrong things (i.e. things you’re not passionate about or things that aren’t best suited to your skillset).
  5. Increased productivity should equal less time on the job. If you’re getting more done, you should get more vacation time.
  6. Most best-selling productivity gurus are working in the interests of large corporations and often advocate values and approaches that are not in the best interests of individuals.
  7. Increased productivity should result in greater carefree time, more vacations, and more time away from work. Most of the time, however, it does not.
  8. We are living in a time and place that is more “productive” than ever before, but high levels of productivity aren’t making us any happier.
  9. Productivity should be designed around our lives, not the other way around.
  10. The workforce is laboring for more hours and for less pay, taking fewer vacations, and generally burning out.
  11. The best way to increase productivity is often to quit a lot of things.
  12. Productivity often poses as the self-development genre but it is not. Self-development and productivity are two very different things. What is best for us as individuals is often bad for productivity.
  13. The societally scripted routes to success via productivity are failing us.
  14. Products marketed towards busy people (e.g. “Productivity for Busy People,” “Cooking for Busy People,” etc.) only serve to reinforce the problem and often glamorize, excuse, and support the unnecessarily busy life and cult of hyperefficiency.
  15. Hacks, tweaks, tricks, etc. have emerged from a productivity hobbyist culture, are largely insufficient at solving bigger life problems, and often do not increase productivity. These hacks etc. are vestiges of the largely “techie” demographic of the early (but self-reinforcing) blogosphere.
  16. Early to bed, early to rise does not necessarily lead to greater productivity. Contrary to several blog posts advocating early rising as a means to greater productivity, the practice of early rising can actually be harmful.
  17. More technology often leads to decreased productivity.
  18. Hyperfocusing on productivity often gets in the way of the messy, circuitous, and discursive routes of personal development.
  19. When most people speak of productivity in the office, they’re usually speaking about a specific kind of productivity: cubical-land, desk-job, information-worker productivity. The methods used to produce this kind of productivity often do not generalize to other contexts.
  20. No productivity system can put you in a zen like, meditative, or mind like water state. A calm, focused, and meditative mind leads to greater productivity, but productivity systems cannot create a mind like water.
  21. Too much productivity can turn you into a real tool.
  22. Massive value creation often happens during times when no work is ostensibly being accomplished and productivity levels are ostensibly nil.
  23. What makes people productive varies considerably from person to person.
  24. Productivity is often a necessary evil: if you dislike your job, you’re going to need a water-tight productivity system in place to keep you on task.
  25. Productivity should be designed around lives, not the other way around.

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Category: Four-Hour Work Week / Productivity / lifestyle design
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  • I think you whacked the mole on the head with #25, Clay. Too many people try to shape their lives into someone else's blueprint, without stopping to realise how unique their life and their circumstances are.
  • Clay, thanks for another thought provoking post. Productivity hacks have helped me get more things done, and turn my life around in a positive direction.

    At the moment, I'm beginning to work out how to let parts of the 'relaxed' me back into my life as the 'productive' me.

    Being overly 'productive' usually leaves me feeling drained, grumpy and empty.
  • Clay Collins
    @Nick: Thanks Nick. Tried to save the best for last :-)

    @David: I'm glad that productivity hacks helped. And I completely agree that they can be useful and helpful.
  • "If your productivity increases, but your pay stays the same, then you
  • Clay Collins
    @Daniel: That one's a biggie for me as well. Glad you liked it.
  • Clay, would you like to place the 25 items as a manifesto onto a dedicated page, so that people can sign it? I'd love to!
  • firstly, what am I Doing at 3;30am reading and commenting on your blog using my phone? Secondly, waking up early this morning has provided me a real treat - your post in bolt upright wake the fuck up and be inspired to read THe Growing Life fashion - to prove the counter point then - sometimes cool technology and early rising are exactly what one needs to see that back to bed is where they should be. Another thought provoking if not super repetative post that kicks ass and keeps it real Clay. Thanks for waking me up - now, back to sleeping in and doing nothing.
  • Nice post -- you reminded me why I'm a fan of getting results over productivity.

    My manager's groomed me to focus on outcomes over activities and work smarter not harder (In fact, I get penalized if I work more.) After all, who do you want running your projects ... the stressed out, full throttle guy?

    That said, productivity's served me well, but as a means, not an end, and now I help others get their life back.
  • Having worked in lots of big companies, I can say that the David Allen quote is utter rubbish. Big companies don't have a lot to get done. They create a great deal of utterly meaningless nonsense and then pretend that it's really important to do it. One day I should tell you the stories of my last contract post, and the problems they had handing my work on to other people when I left. Everybody talks about increasing productivity but nobody has asked the vital question "of what?"
  • Clay Collins
    Before someone calls me out on it, I'm going to freely admit that this post (1) contains a numbered list, (2) has no formal conclusion, and (3) contains information from other posts.

    What can I say? I was at a blogger's conference and felt compelled to write some flagship content.
  • I daresay this is pretty kickass Collins :)

    #9/25 stands out to me. So does #20 because I did almost fall deep into the mindset thinking if I am SUPER productive, I shall have that calm and peace. Its the other way around and not to be confused ... or you will find yourself ripping your hair out.
    .. just saying.

    Great list man
  • Amanda Linehan
    "thrasonical bombast"? Wow, I'm not even sure what that means, but it sounds scary :)

    The really bad thing about "productivity is that it seems to go on for infinity. The way we tend to view it, there is no end to being productive, so you end up living your life like you are on a treadmill - moving, but going nowhere. What about deciding what needs to get done that day, doing it, and then stopping?
  • When I read the part about "the 40-hour work week," I laughed at first because I thought it was a typo. Then I realized it wasn't, that we're working 10 times as much as Tim Ferriss' book says we should!
  • Brilliant and spot on.

    Over the last week or so I've started deleting stuff and firing people from my life that are time sucks. I've slept like a log since then. I've taking to doodling alot at the day job and working on plans for my true work. I've compressed what I need to do at the DJ into about two hours, though I sometimes delay in responding to emails, etc., as a tactical measure.

    I was swayed to the dark side for awhile, but came to when I realize I would never invite David Allen over to my house for dinner, so why was I following him like a drone??

    Thanks again.
    Jay
  • BlogPoop
    Sorry Clay, but I've got to disagree with some of your points:

    1. Productivity is nothing more than a measurement of output over time. It is ONLY a measurement. No different than time or consumption or other econometric terms. It's equally applicable today as it was 70 years ago.

    2. In your points 2 and 3, you would have us believe that we should be as productive as workers 70 years ago. Technology has seriously increased national productivity and we get much more done today than 70 years ago. If you think about the definition of productivity (output/time), you will realize that you can have significantly increased productivity in the same amount of time or in less time if output increases.


    3. Your point 17 just doesn't make sense. Computerization and technology have increased productivity significantly over 70 years ... that's a fairly well accepted economic argument.

    4. Your points 9 and 25 seem the same to me ... guess you really wanted to have a 25 point list ;) To both statements, I would point to my first statement that productivity is only a metric. Productivity cannot be designed. There are "systems" that can be designed to help you increase output in a given amount of time.

    The bottom line is that productivity systems can help you meet your goals if your goals are inline with increasing output in a given time. However, not everyone shares that goal and therefore will not have the same means to that end (i.e. productivity systems).
  • "high levels of productivity aren
  • Your points bring to light the problems of our educational system which is based on an antiquated model. Our schools focus more on the quantity of time spend in the classroom and not the quality time spent in the classroom.

    One more thing. Can you clarify what you meant about "More technology often leads to decreased productivity." I disagree with you on this one but you might have a different take on this so I would like to hear your alternative analysis.
  • So basically "they" (corporations and productivity gurus) are trying to turn us into machines, huh? In some places they give employees a bonus at the end of the year which depends on pre-established indicators of productivity. That being said, I completely get your point. You can make people more productive by adjusting the light, regulating the thermostat, by the layout of the office, and son on. However, the real way to get astounding results is to encourage people to be creative, to think out of the box, and to do things in ways that haven't been done before. I like your manifesto. Will you be posting on the doors of factories and large businesses?
  • Hi Clay,

    As a business owner, productivity is always in the forefront, however, as much as we like to get more done each day, it's the accuracy of the work we strive for (even if it takes longer). Redos always end up costing money, and those losses go straight to the bottom line. Lower profits mean less benefits for employees, upgrades of equipment, etc....

    Overworked employees do make more mistakes, and with a lack of rest, negativity can also result.

    It's a fine line (some) employers walk. You want to provide a good wage for an employee, but also make enough money to cover your overhead and see a profit as well. If greed enters the picture, the equation changes.

    For those who hate their jobs or feel they are not getting paid enough for their efforts, the opportunities self employment offers, is an option to consider.
  • Clay:

    I believe you are on to something here and it's exciting to see! Take #25 and run with it. Also, don't beat yourself up for making a list. This time it's a means of creating simplicity, not a means of attracting blog traffic, as follows...

    Keep going in this direction:

    1. Productivity is another word, such as wealth, success and happiness that must be defined by the individual. Through the lens of the business world, it is not designed to translate into something positive (i.e. happiness) for the employee. It is designed to translate into a better bottom line for owners and investors.
    2. Productivity must be a personal endeavor. For example, I started my own business. In a financial context, I'm not as "productive" as I could be. In a happiness context, I'm more "productive" than I've ever been. It's a matter of priorities...
    3. In a business context, our capitalistic society demands productivity. As long as consumers demand lower prices for goods and services and investors demand increasingly higher returns on their investments, increases in productivity (by way of technology and squeezing more work for less pay out of employees) is absolutely necessary.
    4. Productivity should not be about doing more things in the same amount of time or less. Productivity should be about prioritizing our lives so that they align with our values and this is made possible through self-awareness.
    6. Self-awareness does this: It aligns "who we are" with "what we do."

    Keep moving in this direction! Your finding meaning and purpose here! Great job!
  • One thing I've been saying for some time: GTD [-like systems] are a way for us to do things that we don't want to do. Let's face it, if we need to do something, or want to do something, it WILL get done.
  • Great job Clay, you are moving in the right direction! While there are some points that I would disagree with, I am on your side when it comes to balancing productivity with living.

    For me, being productive is not about getting 24 hours of work done in a 16 hour day. It's getting 8 hours of work done in a 4-5 hour day and having time to go do this - http://hdbizblog.com/journal/2008/04/19/kayakin...

    Productivity is about getting DONE. When you are done, you can STOP WORKING and live your life, doing things that you enjoy.

    Which artist was it that said something like, "The secret to making great art is knowing when to stop."
  • Andrew P
    I cannot be sure but I imagine that Clay is refering to (in 17) viral video, NSFW materials, emailing friends/family during the work day, etc. These are to me a few of the ways that tech can actuallt be counter productive. As for productivity being nothing more than the equation of output over time: blogpoop isn't entirely wrong. The truth is that the present meaning of the word is the product of decades of social construction. If this were not the case then the word would not inspire so much discussion in this comments section.

    As far as being just as productive as seventy years ago, we are thinking about productivity as did the Capitalists of Industrial Revolution era. The hyper-technological world can provide the contemporary worker with more, especially more free time to self-actualize and ultimately embody greater capacity/capability.

    Clay- great post! I had no idea that you were the white-collared worker's Karl Marx.
  • American Bob
    I am reading this at work, knowing that I got up at 0400 this morning to travel to work for 90 minutes, work a 12 hour shift at the "security guard mill", then travel another 90 minutes home again.

    I will be either getting ready to work, travelling, desperately trying to find guards to cover sites, or listening to my cretinous boss whinging and demanding answers to pointless questions for 16 hours today.

    I am doing this because I thought my previous job doing very similar work for 9 hours a day at the same pay rate 30 minutes from my house did not pay enough.

    What the hell do I do that for?
  • "Productivity should be designed around lives, not the other way around."
    This one is a winner. I have heard that in the USA when you start a job you usually have around 8-12 days of holiday.

    Is that true? In the UK it is something between 20-30. In my company we work 7.5 hours a day instead of 7 (I don't include 1 hour break) and we have 30 days holiday. It is great when you have a family.

    Clay, regarding your computer... buy a Mac. Seriously. I saved a lot of time. New switch stories coming soon on switchstories.com.
  • I'm on the same page Clay. I walked from corporates because they have to push for more all the time to keep competitive. If they don't, they go under. But what about the corporate worker? He runs till he drops. Normally to go off to start his/her own business to do it with the real reward that was not ever going to be offered in the corporate since a pay check and a few other transient perks is all that can be offered.

    I wrote 90,000 words about my frustration of being a corporate worker and how inefficient corporates actually are, even after all their efficiency drives, and how utterly pointless corporates make our lives if we were only honest enough to see that our jobs and job titles aren't really what we were born to become.

    There's a lot to be said about the antiquated ways in which we run businesses and employ people. Up until the industrial age 'people' were paid for a task. After that time 'staff' were paid by the hour and so became somewhat disconnected from the task. The task mattered less than the time.

    We still live under the shadow of the Victorian culture.

    I say learn what you need to within someone else's business, then drop out and experience life by taking full control of it and starting your own business steering clear of a major dependence on corporates.
  • Clay,

    Right off the bat, the picture was so frightning, I didn't want to continue reading! That has come to represent a nightmere existence to me.
    But I did read, and nice job.
    I found the corporation that I worked in to be a study in inefficency. It was amazing. Meetings about having meetings about having meetings. When are you supposed to work?
  • Great post. I think what you're pointing to is the gap between "personal prodcutivity" and "corporate productivity" (or "industrial" or "business" or...). Like you say, our bosses get paid more if we produce more, so for them, a measure of "profit generated/time spent" makes sense. But workers -- that's us -- actually lose more of ourselves the more that measure goes up; for us the only measurement that makes sense is "happiness achieved". Granted, there can be some happiness derived from a job well done -- but when the outcome of that job goes to line someone else's pockets...

    Notice, the only real meaningful note of dissent in the cmments so far are from Barbara Swafford, who has the best of both worlds: as an employer, high profits/time are great; as an entrepreneur, she gets to hold onto the profits of her job well done. It's the same thing you see from freelancers, even when they hate their clients -- at the end of the day, they can take pride in their work *and* they reap the benefits of it.

    I'm goping to disagree with 25 slightly, though. The idea that productivity should be designed around lives suggests that it's something *other* than life -- which in turn suggests that you aren't being productive when you play with your kids, invent a new dish for dinner, or stare at the wall thinking about your latest argument with your spouse or girl/boyfriend. Productivity doesn't need to be "designed around" these things, as if once you were done you could get on with being productive, it needs to be part of those things, so we can get over the stupid guilt and stress of "not working" when we really need to be doing something that on the surface doesn't look like work.

    Or were we supposed to disagree, since I'm clearly not an anti-hackiste?
  • So, where do I sign the manifesto? You got it Clay. As a writer about spirituality, I've found it quite amusing to read things like what you point out in number 20. A quiet mind does NOT come from productivity hacks! No way.

    However, to be honest, greater productivity does not necessarily flow from a quiet mind. As the mind quiets, at least for me, life develops a certain stillness, a peacefulness, that is quite unconcerned. Interestingly, I find that doing too much stuff feels like a burden, and I have grateful shed many things. I'm just more content and happy with LESS. And from that place, why in God's name do I want to get "productive" so I can get more of the junk that I just got rid of?

    Well done, Clay, well done.
  • Oh, one more thing: I read somewhere that the French, while working 35 hours per week, are the most productive workers in Europe. Can't verify that one, but it makes sense. They work, then go and do all those annoying French things that they do. Like sit around cafe's, eat cheese, have sex. Yes, very much stereotyping the French, but I learned French just so I could hang-out in France someday.

    With the easy of having broadband, there is virtually no reason for people to work 40 hours in an office. Why not 30 from home? I bet most people could get the same amount of work done.
  • I much prefer the bullwhip method.
  • @Dustin

    Fancy Meeting You in a place like this! The best thing about this post is that there are so many points on which to disagree and expound upon. This conversation is definitely worth pursuing and building a community around. Well said "slight disagreement" with #25, didn't put that into the context of my personal life not being qualified as productive - there is one to think on. However, what I'm inclined to say is that my personal life isn't qualifiable in the current definition of productivity I mean, with my family ,it's just friggin' getting high on life.
  • Triple bonus points for including a still from a Tati film. I knew there was a reason I liked you.

    I think this is fabulous. I do benefit from a certain amount of self-ass-kicking, otherwise known as conscious systems to be more productive, but it only goes so far. At the end of the day, noodling matters. (Tati is, of course, the poster child for brilliant noodling.)
  • I'm starting to think we just need to scrap all existing definitions of 'productivity,' burn a few Blackberries, and take a do-over! Your #18 needs to be re-cast as a bumper sticker: I'd buy it. Thanks to Sonia for pointing out this post on Twitter - just what we need, mid-week!
  • #20 "No productivity system can put you in a zen like, meditative, or mind like water state. A calm, focused, and meditative mind leads to greater productivity, but productivity systems cannot create a mind like water."

    It seems like we are fighting ourselves.

    I remember growing up in the 60s and 70s and hearing that technology would reduce our work hours with robots, etc., and that we would all have jet packs. I'm still waiting on both, but I really want that jet pack.
  • #25 and #9 are the same, but I'm assuming that's because it's so important.

    This is a great manifesto. I think people are so consumed with productivity that they confuse productivity with happiness.

    The problem with this mindset is their determining their happiness based on achievements, how many widgets they use and how much of a circus they can create multi-tasking. It's putting happiness in the future, instead of the present, the only place you can find fulfillment and peace.
  • Wow this so rocks. I loved the point that what's good for humans is often bad for productivity. If you can kick ass and make the money you need to without being "productive" in the usual sense, then more power to ya.

    Also, just thought I'd mention that the word itself has had its meaning distorted a bit. People use the word productive when the really mean efficient. Really its meaning is closer to prolific. Think artist, not cubicle slave.
  • This is my favorite:

    Hyperfocusing on productivity often gets in the way of the messy, circuitous, and discursive routes of personal development.

    The virtue hidden in talk of productivity seems to me to be frugality or thrift. In other words, using your time, money, and energy well. Waste not, want not.

    In the modern age, the virtue of frugality has been perverted by the economy's demand for increased production.

    And there are always competing virtues or values at play.
  • I think this is the killer one, that drains my motivation for the Day Job:

    "Increased productivity should equal less time on the job. If you
  • I think we'd be happier with more free time and less possessions personally...
  • Wow, I'm going to mention this in my weekly blog recap. Regarding point two about increased productivity/pay cuts, I'm very careful about what responsibilities I get given to me nowadays. If it matches my pay, fine, but otherwise things get tricky. I remember when I was working as a team leader with a team leader wage (no salary, paid by the hour) yet I was expected to come in at crazy hours for little pay and essentially do managerial tasks. I wasn't so much getting a pay cut as being a charity case.

    James, Organize IT
  • Nice one, Clay! Some really great points here.

    In my work with clients, I talk about productivity all the time, so I had to keep checking myself as I read this to see whether or not I could agree with you without contradicting my own work!

    Turns out, there was no conflict of interest, and I am quite relieved to say so!

    Your manifesto has me noticing how my own relationship to productivity is very different from the traditional way of thinking. More than that, it has me thinking I should be more vocal about creating an alternative context for productivity in the business world.

    I think our society stands to benefit greatly from a productivity model that promotes balance, clarity, self-expression and fulfillment.

    I'm inspired to work on that. Thank you for stirring the pot!

    Erek
  • So, David Allen walks into a coffeehouse, orders a Italian-style cappuccino, and proceeds to plop into a big easy chair sideways and does nothing. The barista/owner walks over and gives him his coffee and... What's the punchline? There is none, it really happened- in my shop- last week. See, David happens to be a friend of mine and I've seen him do nothing better than anyone I know. I owned an uber-small micro business and was a student when I started using GTD. It saved my life. I now own a very small, currently very slow, little coffeehouse, in a very small town in CA. It is true that a lot of big companies use GTD to squeeze the most results out of their employees, but if you do that, in this modern economy, and don't give them more money, time, freedom, or other things of value, you have an empty desk and new guy to get productive quick. I have had one of those strange circuitous life plans and GTD has helped clear my head enough to actually be present to lessons learned in it. I'm new to your blog, and only read this one entry, so I will read more and subsribe for a bit, but it seems you make the mistake of confusing the fans for the person the're following and his message. I like Elivs, but can't stand Elvis fans. Is that the King's fault? I suggest you go read GTD again and hear what DA is actally saying, not what is said by a bunch techy nerds, hell-bent on productivity as the nerd chic dujour. The whole GTD thing is for changing the world and your self, in the way you want to, with as little effort and as much downtime as possible. In short, the guy your describing wouldn't give a damn about a little guy like me, but David cares for and helps a lot of little guys like me. Don't mean to rant, but I think you might have missed the big picture, hidden behind the labelers, list, and hipster pdas- it's about people not productivity.
  • Clay Collins
    @Andrew: Awesome, awesome, awesome comment. Thank you for sharing this great and true story. Thanks for making the time. David Allen sounds like a great guy and very likable person. I'm going to try and get this comment a little more visibility. Thanks for dropping by; I'll try to make your subscription worth it.

    Warm regards,
    Clay
  • I've seen a trend in recent months of GTD backlash posts and what I am always surprised by is how much they sound like David when you're sitting in his backyard, drinking wine, petting the dog, and asking him what GTD is all about. One of the greatest philosophical errors of our modern age has been to confuse means and ends. Some people have made being busy doing GTD an end in itself and forgot the end which GTD is for the sake of.

    @Clay: It seems like your blog is a cry for people to stop this endless tinkering for tinkering sake and actually live life in the moment. I suck at that and when my conscience kicks in, and I feel guilty for letting either the tyranny of the urgent or the endless reworking of my "system" get in the way of living, the voice I hear in my head is usually David. As far as I can tell DA or the folks promoting GTD officially don't have a stake in how much you take on, in fact they'd tell you to take on less, but merely want you to actually take responsibility for what you pile on your plate and to keep it from distracting you when you trying to nothing or be present in the moment.
  • I've been echoing this for years. It's about getting important stuff done, and technology doesn't solve problems that are rooted in habit.

    GTD has some fantastic concepts, but like anything else, it has to be taken with a grain of salt. Life is to be lived, not hacked. Doing more does not equal getting more done if what you are doing is meaningless.

    I recommend reading GTD, taking what's useful, ditching the rest ... and living your life. There's good stuff in there. But don't be a slave to a system.
  • Some good stuff in here Clay. In the end productivity is leads to 'hassling' other people and yourself. My manifesto? "Leave yourself alone! Stop looking over your shoulder!"
  • I think you're missing one basic point, productivity is there to get you more of what you want. More productivity = more time, more pay... you just have to channel your productivity to what you want...
  • I found out this was proposed @ ChangeThis.com!

    Clay, you should also highlight voting for that on here
  • Scott
    We are twice as productive than in 1940 but most of us can no longer live on a single income and have the "American Dream". Hmmm. I wonder who is benefiting from that?
  • This is a really great post! Thank you!

    It's really important to question why we are striving to be so productive.

    Cheers!


    www.simplyqueer.com
  • Clay,

    I think # 11 "The best way to increase productivity is often to quit a lot of things" is a very good tip. Often time people have too much stuff on their minds and life which are unnecessary. I think minimalism (http://thinkneat.blogspot.com/2008/06/minimalis...) in life automatically boosts productivity
  • I find that the people who are truly productive tend to start their own companies in order to take advantage of their productivity. If a computer programmer is 10 times more productive than his co-workers he probably will not earn 10x the salary of others. However, if he starts his own company his pay is tied to his performance.
  • Interesting post, and I agree with the spirit of your arguments, I disagree with a few things, though. My main disagreement first:

    - Unfortunately, wages+benefits are controlled by the laws of supply and demand as much by cultural/corporate norms. If everyone's productivity rises the same amount, relatively speaking, no one's productivity rises. Unless I'm much more productive than those around me today rather than how people were 40 years ago, I will not command amazingly higher wages. It's like Scott Adams (Dilbert) talking about how if there was a pill that suddenly made sleep unnecessary, the workforce would effectively double (or so) and wages would cut in half.
    Again, I agree with you that we should work less, just because we don't need to work nearly as much we do (40 hours is totally arbitrary nowadays) but disagree with your argument. I also don't think corporations are supposed to give us this, we have to get it for ourselves. For myself, I work part-time and take the monetary hit for the extra time (which makes me happier than the extra money would anyway). You can also sometimes find pro-rated full-time jobs. I also recently quit my part-time job because it was soul crushing, but I have some money saved up so this isn't an option for many people.
    - Medieval peasants didn't enjoy the standard of living we enjoy. The poorest among us have access to better resources than kings of old.
    - One of the supporters of the 40 hour work week was Henry Ford, who believed that people working less would be better for the economy, turned out he was write. Going back to the medieval age is fine, but let's not forget what happened before 1940s.
    - As someone has mentioned in the comments already, Many places in Europe already work less than Americans/Canucks do. Blogs such as this, 4 hour work week and flex-work agreements suggest that we are moving towards a social change that may signal less work for us over here in North America, too. For myself, I'd love to be able to take a siesta every day and party into the night.
    - You think that's messed up? A prostitute (devine brown) made 1.6 million dollars for fellating one man (Hugh Grant), which was interrupted, so I'd imagine she prolly made 1.6 million dollars as a consequence of less than 20 minutes of work.

    Like I said, I agree with the spirit of what you say, but I disagree with your arguments. Keep it up!
  • Jerry
    I haven't got a blog yet (soon) but when I do I'm coming after you Collins...

    for a guest post.

    You're on target with the productivity list.

    Obviously, there are multiple perspectives that can be raised with this topic, including that of the employer -- most often made out to be an evil entity that has nothing better to do than to suck the life out of its worker bees.

    Clearly, the model in place in most organizations isn't the best we should be able to come up with. Some observers would claim it's like democracy -- a horrible system...just better than any of the others out there. I don't agree with that opinion but I can understand management's reluctance to toss out the known for the unknown.

    Perhaps if business wasn't accountable to "the street" every 90 days, with the impending doom and gloom is you fall short of projections or are trending badly, there would be less emphasis on David Allen and others who sell management that they are the answer to hitting the numbers. There would be time to take a breath and consider alternatives.

    The unfortunate truth is that small business generally copies big business, so any practice like GTD spreads virally and before you know it it's everywhere. Great for David Allen, as well as the person who follows him with the "next big thing."

    If it is to change it will be because a charismatic leader will emerge with a different system that incorporates beneficial concepts for both the company and individual, and where their output blows the doors off the competition. The business media will fawn all over the leader who gets a book deal, does the interview circuit, and reveals his/her secrets for the "new" corporation. Then, the copycats will remake the workplace in his/her image and all will be right with the world.

    Until David Allen stages his comeback.

    :)
  • Well said for the productivity is an economic era.Nice M agree with you at the point
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