First published on LinkedIn.
In this month's poll, I asked you how often you feel micromanaged at work. About one third of you said never, which is good to hear. However, one third of you said sometimes or once in awhile and another third of you said most or all of the time. This is concerning! And this may be why many employees are disengaged at work. It could also tie into the topic of this month's newsletter.
Have you heard of Fauxductivity? It’s one of the newest HR buzzwords on the market, and though some of these words may seem silly, this one is worth paying attention to.
Fauxductivity is short for "FAKE PRODUCTIVITY" and refers to when employees, managers, and executives fake being productive while at work.
According to a survey by Workhuman, 32% of employees, 37% of managers, and 38% of executives say they fake productivity at work. While 67% of employees deny faking productivity, 48% of managers believe it's a big issue. However, managers who said they faked productivity were more likely to believe it to be an issue, than those who did not.
So why are leaders and HR thinking about this in the first place? Hint: It’s driven by fear and misunderstanding of the future of work.
On the surface, Fauxductivity may seem like a by-product of the hybrid and remote workplace. But another survey suggests that poor workplace culture and high levels of burnout are the real reason for the prevalence of Fauxductivity. A lot of the data around this implies that a toxic culture of performative productivity and productivity anxiety are coming from the top. Even managers who admit to faking productivity cite that their main reasons for doing so are to appease management and deal with burnout.
Here is why this is becoming an issue:
Problem 1: Implies all work is measured by time. Assumption that the more “time” you spend...the harder you’re working.
60% of remote employees say they fake productivity when some form of time-tracking is used. Compare this to the 66% of employees who say they do not fake productivity when time-tracking is not required.
When culture focuses more on output over input, they will value the quality of the work rather than the amount of hours worked. This will take away the pressure on employees to “perform” and make them feel less likely to engage in Fauxductivity.
Problem 2: Doesn’t allow room for creativity & outside-the-box thinking.
The conflict between productivity and creativity is an ongoing discussion.
It’s a delicate balance between allowing enough freedom to let creativity and innovation grow, while maintaining levels of productivity.
When we have clear goals, flexibility, and a focus on outcomes, we can be more creative. And this is backed up by research! The more clarity employees have about their work priorities, the happier they will be at their company - which increases productivity!
Problem 3: Feeds into our obsession around being productive & that we always need to be “online.”
Another reason managers fake productivity is a desire for better work-life balance.
Over 50% of employees say that they are expected to respond to Slacks, messages, or emails immediately and 52% say that they are expected to accommodate after-hours meetings.
We need to establish and respect healthy workplace boundaries, set clear expectations, and model the behavior we want to see. Set a standard response time that is realistic, and make room for emergencies when absolutely necessary. And no..."poor planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part!"
Problem 4: Assumes the employee isn’t looking for meaning, purpose, or fulfillment in their work.
Engaged employees find meaning, purpose, or fulfillment in their roles. When they are not engaged, productivity dips.
54% of employees admit that when they are not engaged at work, they tend to do the bare minimum that is required of them just to get through the day.
When managers are involved with employees, 61% of them say they feel more engaged at work, but this number drops to 26% for those whose managers are not as involved or not involved at all.
Problem 5: With the rise of AI in the workplace, productivity needs to be redefined.
Due to trust and performance issues with the implementation of AI, employee engagement and productivity can decline.
We need to consider some safe practices and guidelines that address trust issues and touch on cultural differences and biases to ensure AI can enhance productivity rather than hinder it.
When considering all these problems, we need to reimagine the way we do work. The workplace is becoming increasingly flexible, agile, and creative. With the advent of Industry 5.0, humans are transitioning from using machines to make work physically less demanding, to collaborating with machines intimately to increase innovation and creativity. Change can be scary, but we should embrace it and accept it!
How is your organization preparing for the future of work?
Connect with me to explore a strategy consultation or training opportunities on this topic and to discuss how I can help your organization ensure employee engagement and productivity are prioritized.
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