What is Productivity?

A Google search of the term productivity brings the following definition: “…the state or quality of producing something, especially crops..” or “…the effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry, as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input.” A synonym of productivity is efficiency or work rate. It is the synonym of productivity, efficiency, that many people who work at a non-industrial type of job use to define their day. In these situations, however, one’s efficiency may not be measurable as far as output but actually may require measurement by identifying a different productivity standard: good will. As a leader and mentor, one may not be able to be productive by counting widgets produced but may need to set their productivity standards by how many people they spoke to or what relationships were built that day. Productivity cannot just be measured in terms of output because many of us don’t have, well, any concrete output. Work is done through others. And, if work is completed through others, these relationships create productive environments where crops – or the fruits of one’s labor – do grow and flourish.

Relationships built on trust, accountability, and proper delegation bear the results of seeds sown during the down times; those times where there is no crisis to immediately address or work is just flowing on its own. Like a river, the flow might be a meandering while the river rests and moves at an even pace. During the rainy season, however, the river takes on a new current where forces within drive the direction of the river and, while it is moving to the eventual exit, the edge may meander into parts unknown. In the expansion of the river, new ideas are developed as the river sees new areas, picking up rocks and other debris and using the power of the current to move them to a different path. Some rocks may be carried for miles by the momentum of the flow of water as it rushes to the sea. Once the river slows down during another lull, the rocks may become entrenched in the mud of their new surroundings, forever changing the landscape of the whole river. It is during these lulls that new topography is noticed and may create expanded river beds or brings water to vegetation that can then flourish.

In the science of management, the lull has untold opportunity for growth, too. By dissecting the impact of the river rush, and learning what was desirable and facing the undesirable, we can better protect the valley from flooding, creating the necessary structure to ensure the river travels as expected. It is during the lull that construction may be made to direct the river differently. The river never stops flowing; it changes direction and dimension and, over time, appearance and result. Like a slowing river, production lulls are a great soil to create growth. The cultivation of one’s relationships during these production lulls creates the trust needed when flooding is imminent, and the structure needed to weather the storm.