Defining Productivity at Work (Then and Now)

Lots of people ask me how to evoke a strong sense of camaraderie, energy, enthusiasm and productivity,  while working from home.

The answer from me is very simple and loud.  productivity is not possible just by making few adjustments on body postures or creating certain organisational frameworks  (set by the company), while working from home, but have good knowledge of what is productivity, its history of its understanding then and now, the psychology of work in relation to human person, and finally the ability to integrate work and life for max productivity. 

In my next few posts, i will be focusing on these four points under the title ‘Raising Productivity, while working from home’. To start with, let us begin by understanding the meaning of Work in the past and now. 

Defining Productivity in the Past

According to the business dictionary, “Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of a person, machine, factory or a system in converting inputs into useful outputs.”

Productivity in a literal sense, is defined as an average output per period by the total cost incurred or resourced. Productivity is a critical determinant of cost efficiency.

Measuring productivity consist of many elements. In simple terms, the Harvard Business Review says ‘taking the units of output.’ In other words, to divide the product and units of input.

In the earlier times, way back in 1911, Taylor, a machinist turned consultant, in his book, the principles of scientific management, wrote “that production rested on variables related to men and machines”

With times evolving and man entering into knowledge space, today, a thought, such as this,  is to be refuted and rebutted. Productivity can not be related to standardising employee actions for prosperity and production.

Employee productivity cannot be construed as a mere job-count of service sector or unit-count of manufacturing sector.  However Productivity cannot be summed as mere employee productivity too. It is much more than that.

Thus it is important to  ward off some myths that have diluted the very meaning and understanding of human productivity on which the fulcrum of a human person stands. 

Myths around Productivity

Let us remove few myths around productivity to ward off our misconceptions on productivity. 

1. It is not an output arising from input
2. It is not number of units produced
3. It is not task defining your job or measuring your output
4. It is not doing more work with less time such as multi-tasking
5. It is not work place that enables me to be productive
6. It is not result of social pressure or managerial pressure
7. It is not efficiency of workers or group of workers

What is Productivity for 21 Century?

Productivity is ‘a result or an outcome from doing the right things, the right way with a right intention.’

It is working with an end in mind that requires our utmost focus and priority.   

There are two kinds of productivity that require a mention here, namely personal productivity and work productivity. The end result of both  are outcome not output. 

Personal Productivity = objective / actions = outcome

Work Productivity = objective /activity = outcome

This definition and ratio differs from output model. 

Productivity Output model 

It is also known as Producer model. The more the input, the more the output. It worked well in a traditional business model, which was more vertical and hierarchal by structure, often ruled by authority, with a firm focus on outputs produced.

Productivity Outcome Model 

it is also known as empowerment model.  An outcome Model helps the individual or the employee achieve right results along with holistic growth of the individual and the company. 

However it does not rule out the productivity output model. Such a model was employed only to measure difference or gap between input and output in production or service.  This option is used as one of the means to achieve the end, not the only option or criterion to meet the end.   Productivity outcome model does not bypass this  method in operations, but employs it with a different dimension.

The research into productivity is robust. It is an ongoing process.  But it does not require scientific research to experience the power of productivity.  The end result of productivity is seen in rewards, sense of pride, achievement and fulfilment.

To sum it

“productivity is not about getting many things done, but it is all about getting right things done. It is more an outcome than output.”

Elias Moses is a Senior Business Strategist, Consultant, Researcher, Corporate and Leadership Trainer, Orator, Columnist and an Entrepreneur. He is also the Founder and Managing Director of  a growing reality firm in south India. He is also the founder of Managing Next, an Online portal for knowledge share and Management Consulting. 

The author can be contacted@ 

email: elias@managingnext.in,  linkedin:  www.linkedin.com/in/eliasmoses