Presence, Productive and “Pathological Productivity”

Presence, Productive and “Pathological Productivity”

by

L.T. Force, Ph.D.

Gerontologist

The world has changed and so has work. A number of years ago, my youngest son was changing ‘Start-Up’ jobs about every two to two and half years. In talking with him, I cautioned him as to how this would look on a resume, i.e., changing jobs every two years (In my career, I had stayed with organizations long-term). He said: “Dad, work life has changed….they don’t ask you why you are moving to another ‘Start-Up’ every two years ….they ask you why you stayed so long”. Yes, the world of work has changed.

As I started to think about the content and context of this Blog Post, i.e., looking at the difference between “presence and productivity” I was flooded by memories. When I was in college, I was a summer camp counselor. One day, we heard that at Bear Mountain State Park there was a Zoo ….with the “largest bear in captivity housed there”. My friend and I assembled the camp kids (about 25 campers) and drove them by bus up to Bear Mountain (about a 40 mile drive). On the way up to the Zoo - the kids were excited, animated and singing….”they were going to see the largest bear in captivity”. When we arrived,. The kids ran off the bus and towards the Bear Cages. When we arrived, looking for the largest bear, the only thing we saw inside the cage was this old scrawny bear in the corner of the cage. The kids were looking for the “largest bear in captivity”. I went to find a Park Ranger to ask him where was the: “largest bear in captivity housed?” He said: “No son, not the ‘largest bear held in captivity’….but rather the ‘longest bear held in captivity’…he has been living here at the Zoo in captivity for over 40 years”. What a disappointment for the kids. The lesson for me was the impact of confusing words, i.e., “mistaking longest for largest”.  I have never forgot that lesson, and I have seen it played out in a number of arenas over the course of my adult life.

Fast forward to today. Yes, “Work has changed”. Technology has been embedded into the rhythms of the workday. The Covid quarantine has imp[acted the: “assembly and ‘place’ of work”. More and more, I am hearing the debate arrive about: “presence at work”. That’s an interesting statement. Years ago, I read a Wall Street Journal article that said employees who you can count on to never miss a day of work, who are always there and work longer hours are typically: “the unhappily married or the newly divorced….because their home life is in such disarray and confusion that they find solace and comfort at the worksite”. **(In all fairness, there could be other issues or dynamics impacting work attendance, as well.) However, but just like the Bear story in confusing “largest with longest”….I think we are confusing the words: “presence with productivity”.  In the recent book by Oliver Burke: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals (2021) he speaks of what he calls: “Pathological Productivity’, i.e., to be consumed with being productive at the expense of everything else that matters in your life. So when a co-worker proclaims: “I’m always here!”…the actual response should be:”Why?”. The question at hand is….”have we confused the interpretation of presence with being productive?”  I think we have.

Across my professional career, I have known some people who wear the: “Badge of Present” as though it is an honor to accomplish. But the reality is: “in the artificial strive for authority and status…. just because you are more present…doesn’t mean you are more productive….but rather it could mean just the opposite…. where you have inflated your role and have been absorbed by your professional life….at the expense of the hallowing out of your personal life”. 

Let’s not confuse the words: “largest with longest”….Let’s not confuse the words: “presence with productivity”….like the images in the picture above….they are different. And remember….don’t ever forget what really matters.