The current definition of productivity in knowledge work is flawed, as it emerged from the industrial sector where productivity was quantitative and measurable. In knowledge work, productivity is harder to measure, leading to the use of visible activity as a proxy for useful effort. This approach, called pseudo productivity, has been driving knowledge work activity for at least 70 years, but it’s unnamed and unrecognized, making it difficult to fix. Pseudo productivity worsened with the advent of computers, networks, emails, and laptops, allowing work to follow people anywhere and demonstrating activity at any time. People struggle to define productivity, often summarizing their job responsibilities instead of providing a clear definition.

In this webinar you will learn (Learning Objectives):

  • The Evolution of Productivity Advice
  • The Prevalence of Pseudo Productivity
  • The Consequences of Pseudo Productivity
  • The Art of Slow Productivity
  • The Origins of the Modern Workday, and many more!

About the Speaker: Dan O’Connor

Cal Newport is a Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, specializing in the theory of distributed systems. He completed his undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College in 2004 and earned his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2009 under the supervision of Nancy Lynch.

Tags:

best of the internetKnowledge WorkproductivitySlow Productivitytime managementwork-life balance