Reclaiming Productivity
The term “productivity” has many definitions. The Oxford English Dictionary, citing examples from the 1600s, equates the term with being “creative” and “generative.” In economics, productivity is associated with labor, as a measurement of the output of goods and services against the human hours worked to make or deliver them. More recently, though, productivity has become synonymous with long hours, being “always on” for clients and coworkers, and an overall culture of busyness. This last definition is one that organizations need to identify within their cultures right now and address immediately Research from McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.org finds that 42% of women—and 35% of men—surveyed say they are consistently burned out at work, up from 32% and 28%, respectively, a year ago. And a lot of what has made work…