Beware of False Productivity Cutting’s edge is one my favorite blogs about project management. Thomas recently wrote about the cost of project success. I enjoyed the example of the construction of many wonders of the globe as projects and the often overlooked consequences for the project teams who built them. Thomas draws a parallel to modern projects. He shows how project managers can either plan to over-use staff in their planning or not see it enough to take any serious action. His point is very well made, and I would like add pressure from the other end. Many team members feel it is a status symbol to be the one who works the most hours in a week. It’s like trying to keep up with the Joneses. This is what a good project manager must be able to spot. These signs include:
- Spends a lot of time socializing and interacting with co-workers
- Often, they point out that they work a lot.
- They are often the ones who point out, explicitly or implicitly, that they were either the first to arrive or the last to leave for the day.
Many people who work 10-12 hour days get the same, or slightly more, than those who work 8. Productivity refers to the amount of value added in the time it took. You want to find more productive people and not people who are willing to sacrifice their personal lives in order achieve less productivity over a longer period of time.