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10 Myths and Realities about Productivity + How to Boost It At Your Startup
When did we (as a community) get so obsessed with productivity?
We get bombarded with daily ads about getting more work done. Software companies tell us their tools help us work faster. We even attend workshops and seminars to increase our productivity. And now you’re here to learn about the myths and realities of it to see if what you’ve been doing makes sense.
But is this pursuit of productivity actually good for your startup?
Regardless of our obsession with moving faster and doing more, productivity growth rates have stalled over the last decade.
Bureau of Labor Statistics says we’re only getting about 1.4% more productive per year, which is the slowest growth rate in 30 years.
We’re producing more productivity tools than ever, but we have less and less to show for it.
In a survey of American knowledge workers conducted by Dropbox, 61% of people say they want to “slow down to get things right,” while only 41%* say they want to “go fast to achieve more.”
*The respondents were asked how much they agreed with each statement separately, which is why the figures don't add up to exactly 100%.
So why are so many companies so focused on increasing productivity at all costs?
One major problem is the measurement of efficiency and unalignment of priorities.
Traditionally, if you can “produce more goods over time with fewer resources, you’ve increased your productivity.” This mindset is a tempting blueprint for any modern-day business says Ben Tayler.
But obviously, this becomes murkier with tech or knowledge-based startups.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics cautions that productivity stats “for nonmanufacturing industries are often difficult to measure” and that “customers should be cautious when interpreting the data.”
Do more lines of code per hour lead to better products? Would doubling the number of brainstorms per week make designers more creative?
Increasing your productivity is easy, right?. It’s just a matter of making a few simple changes to your routine, behaviour, or thinking, and your productivity will soar.
At least, that’s what countless online articles claim. The actual science tells a different story.
A modest amount of research by Dr. Dean Burnett, a neuroscience write, reveals that some of the most commonly touted claims about how to boost productivity fall apart in the face of the evidence.
So, here are 10 of the most common myths about boosting productivity, along with a number of approaches that have a more robust scientific basis, based on Your Productive Brain.
Table of Contents:
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A DISC Behavior Assessment is the best way to understand your team's personalities.
Each DISC Assessment includes a Self Assessment and DISC Style evaluation worksheet
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