The Limited Benefit of Productivity Hacks

Most productivity systems and planners make the same promise – to help leaders get more done in less time.

Being productive is important, however, most leaders can recall a day when they were extremely busy completing their task list but still felt deeply unsatisfied. Should they become even more productive and efficient with their time, or is there a deeper and more important issue that is unaddressed?

Most leaders have days when they check everything off the task list but still felt deeply unsatisfied. Is the answer more productivity or is there a deeper and more important issue that is unaddressed? Share on X

Years ago, Stephen R. Covey, gave an analogy that provides the right perspective. He suggested that we contemplate the difference between a compass and a clock. What is the purpose of each tool? The clock represents your calendar,  appointments, schedule, tasks, activities and how you manage your time. The compass represents something deeper and more important, such as your mission, purpose, values, direction, and what matters most to you. Both are important tools but the compass must come before the clock because, “where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going to get there” (Stephen Covey).

30 years ago Stephen Covey said where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. This statement is even more true today. We need to learn how to live at the pace of the soul. Share on X

Leading your life by the compass requires intentionality and high levels of integrity in the moment of choice to act on your priorities not simply what is urgent or pressing in the moment. If we can stay focused and refuse to give first class time and energy to second class pursuits, we will experience deeper satisfaction at the end of the day.

Consider Peter Drucker’s wisdom, “The major problem is the confusion between effectiveness and efficiency. Between doing things right and doing the the right things. There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all.”

Peter Drucker said that there is nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all. Share on X

Productivity planners and systems have little to offer a leader who has not already defined the most essential areas of importance and responsibility. Rather than asking how can we get more done in less time, leaders can ask these types of questions:

• What are my most important relationships and does my calendar reflect that importance?
• How will I prioritize my own learning and development this week?
• How will I model the corporate values by the brush of my example?
• What am I doing this week to shape our company culture – what will I tolerate and what will I reward?
• How will I inspire my staff with a sense of shared vision?
• How will I model courage, honesty and vulnerability?
• How will I demonstrate love and care for my staff in a language they can understand?
• How can I remove obstacles for my people so they can produce their best work?
• Have I given first class focus to second class priorities?
• What will I stop doing to free up more time to spend on things that matter most?

Each of the above questions are specific to leadership. If you are not asking and answering these questions regularly you may not be leading.

Productivity hacks cannot help you prioritize what matters most. Even the best planners and planning systems assume the leader has made the already difficult discernment of discovering what matters most. When leaders fail to clarify their most important priorities, productivity systems might exacerbate the problem.

Productivity hacks cannot help you prioritize what matters most. Share on X

Leaders are rarely measured by the number of tasks completed in a day. Leaders are measured by the impact they have on the organization. If the majority of your work can be checked off a task list in rapid fire, you may not be doing the work of a leader. If you can automate your work through one hack or another, you may not be doing the work of a leader. You might be getting faster and more efficient at the lesser things, yet neglecting the big areas of responsibility thus making little organizational progress.

Leaders are rarely measured by the number of tasks they complete in a day. Leaders are measured by the transformative impact they have on the organization and it's relationship with the market or outside world. Share on X

I am in favor of getting faster and becoming more efficient but only if it frees up more time and energy to lead.

Leaders inspire a shared vision and communicate a compelling image of a preferred future. Leaders enable others to act and empower them to produce incredible results. Leaders encourage the heart and demonstrate care for their people. Leaders challenge the process and facilitate change. Fill your days, weeks and months with these high-leverage pursuits and you will undoubtedly get more done is less time.

Productivity has little to offer until a leader has defined what is essential and eliminated the rest. Share on X