Managerial Obsession with Unnecessary Tasks
The following article is from the BBC website and was written by Joanna York, a news correspondent.
Many managers overload their employees with pointless tasks just to keep them working. Why do senior managers fear downtime so much?
When employees are working, most managers expect them to stay busy during the workday. This might mean completing tasks within their responsibilities or finding ways to ensure they are involved in some work-related project. Even when workflows generate some downtime, management’s message is usually clear: find a way to keep working.
If employees appear to be doing nothing, some managers intervene with superfluous tasks to keep them occupied. “Non-purpose tasks are those that don’t serve a purpose,” says Randy Clarke, a leadership and development trainer based in Indiana, USA. “They don’t contribute to achieving any goals, improve the individual, the operation, or the culture.”
Meaningless Reports
Examples of non-purpose tasks might include writing a pointless report, color-coding a spreadsheet, or reviewing a presentation that’s already been reviewed. A 2016 study of 600 knowledge workers showed that they spent only 39% of their workday on their actual tasks, while the rest was spent on meetings, emails, and non-purpose tasks such as writing status reports for managers.
In the office, managers could assign non-purpose tasks based on a quick observation of what employees are doing. But the shift to remote work during the pandemic has changed that, as many managers can no longer easily supervise their employees. While studies suggest that many remote employees are significantly more productive, they also work much longer hours. Does this mean managers are assigning more superfluous tasks? And would it really be so bad if employees took a break when there’s nothing to do?
Maintaining Control
Part of the problem with superfluous tasks is that some managers equate business with productivity.
The perception is not only that a busy worker is engaged and puts in effort, but even that their industriousness gives them a higher moral value than their less busy colleagues. This creates a dynamic in which two office workers performing identical tasks can be judged by their level of activity, rather than their results. Who seems more engaged: the busy worker who skips lunch to finish work, or the efficient worker who finishes early and uses the saved time to do the grocery shopping online?
Managers say, “I need my employees to keep generating work so I know they’re earning their pay.” – Susan Vroman
From the bosses’ perspective, the busy worker is often a more reassuring sight. “People feel they’re paying you for a reason if they see you working,” says Susan Vroman, a professor of management at Bentley University in Massachusetts.
This is especially true in organizations where the work culture requires managers to operate in a more traditional, authoritarian style, which discourages employee autonomy. In these organizations, managers may also feel pressured by their superiors to demonstrate that their team is busy and productive. “Managers think, ‘I need my employees to keep generating work so I know they’re earning their pay, because someone is watching me to make sure I’m managing them well,’” Vroman explains.
Remote work, in some cases, has exacerbated this pressure. When employees adapted to working remotely, many managers found it unsettling not being able to visually supervise them. “In the early stages of the pandemic, bosses thought that if they didn’t see employees working, then they weren’t working,” Vroman adds. “They didn’t believe the employees were productive, even though they continued to fulfill their tasks and results.”
At the same time, managers reported a widespread loss of trust in their employees. A July 2020 study published in the Harvard Business Review revealed that 41% of managers questioned their employees’ motivation, and nearly a third doubted that they possessed the knowledge or skills essential for successful remote work.
Time Management
When superiors doubt employees’ work ethic, one solution is to meticulously monitor their time with an endless to-do list to keep them tied to their desks, even if some of the tasks are pointless. “Managers may not even know if an employee has finished their primary work, but they assign additional tasks to ensure they don’t finish them [for the day],” says Barbara Larson, executive professor of management at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University in Massachusetts. “It’s work that’s assigned simply to ensure employees are working, so the manager feels they’re still in control.”
Free time can be very beneficial for employees, even making them more productive, so why are managers often reluctant to give it? (Credit: Getty)
Free time can be very beneficial for employees, even making them more productive, so why are managers often reluctant to give it? (Credit: Getty)
“We certainly try to appear busy.”
However, it’s not just managers who equate busyness with good performance. A study revealed that knowledge workers spend, on average, 41% of their work time on self-imposed routine tasks that could be delegated to others, in order to appear more active and important at work. “We certainly try to appear busy because we know we’re being watched,” says Vroman.
In the digital environment, the pressure to appear busy persists, even if it means adding extra tasks to the workday, such as sending messages to prove we’re online. And while many workers can complete their work in less time in remote work environments, many still feel pressure to assign themselves routine tasks. “We feel bad about [not working] because we know we’re paid to work all day,” explains Vroman. In fact, a 2021 study showed that the guilt associated with taking breaks is so high that 60% of American remote workers don’t take any time for themselves during the workday.
The temptation to self-impose routine tasks may be even greater among employees who fear their bosses will assign them these kinds of tasks. Vroman says people will start doing things to appear busy, “so their bosses will give them a break.”
Some managers report that periods of downtime during remote work have caused unease among employees.
“When some of our employees were working from home, I noticed they felt a bit guilty during downtime,” says Niall John Lynchehaun, managing director of the Ireland-based building materials company Midland Stone. He started assigning tasks to keep his employees engaged during these quiet periods. “It’s simply the easiest way to deal with it.”
But assigning too many tasks to alleviate guilt could simply replace one set of negative feelings with another. A 2018 study found that 42% of workers spent half their time on unimportant tasks, and 71% said that being overworked made them feel like they were wasting their lives.
The Domino Effect of Meaningless Tasks
In the long run, frequently assigning tasks designed primarily to keep workers busy can damage the relationship between managers and employees.
“It can be very demotivating for the remote worker,” says Larson. “It’s a sign of a lack of trust and interest. The real tragedy of unproductive tasks lies in the missed opportunity. There’s so much that could be done in that time that would benefit both the employee and the company.”
Forty-two percent of workers spent half their time on unproductive tasks, and 71 percent said that spending too much time on them “made them feel like they were wasting their lives.”
These opportunities could include assigning the worker meaningful tasks or growth opportunities that are often postponed, such as training. It could also mean allowing employees to take a break. Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of taking regular breaks during the workday. These benefits include reduced stress and improved concentration, creativity, and productivity—all positive for employees and their organizations.
But, especially as remote workers put in increasingly longer hours, overloading them with repetitive tasks will have the opposite effect. “The main risk is that employees will burn out and their mental well-being will suffer,” says Vroman. “This high rate of resignation is partly the result of exhausted people not receiving effective management in their remote work because it wasn’t flexible enough.”
Breaking the Cycle
Of course, not all managers are fans of repetitive tasks. Larson believes in “results-based” tasks rather than time-based ones. If her employees finish early or have time to take a break, she says, “then, frankly, that flexibility is part of the reward for their performance.”
This approach is based on giving teams autonomy, something Larson describes as “highly motivating.” “Typically, this creates a virtuous cycle, where people want to do good work.”
Randy Clarke suggests that managers need to think more deeply about the types of tasks they assign. When training managers and leaders, he advises them to keep employees busy during working hours, but to avoid redundant tasks. Instead, they should plan for periods of low activity and seek out tasks that add value.
Ultimately, managers who feel trapped in a cycle of assigning redundant tasks should reflect on and consider more broadly what their superiors expect of them, rather than striving to keep people busy. “They probably expect you to produce good results and, hopefully, retain satisfied employees,” suggests Vroman.
Remote work may not have eradicated the idea that employees must always be busy, but the shift in attitude toward management offers some hope. If flexible schedules, now in such high demand, prioritize results over working hours, they could eliminate superfluous tasks and, as a result, have healthier and happier workers.
Who fakes working more: employees or leaders?
The following contribution comes from the Korn Ferry website, which describes itself as follows: Today, Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm that combines strategy and talent to drive superior performance for our clients. From our humble beginnings in a small office in Century City, Los Angeles, we have established ourselves as the leading executive search firm. However, our vision extends far beyond that.
We not only aim to place the best executives, but also to collaborate with like-minded organizations to help them lead change, transform for growth, and find and retain top talent. This path of continuous evolution reflects our commitment to empowering companies worldwide through strategic leadership and talent solutions.
The article was written by Mark Royal, Ph.D., Senior Client Partner, North America, and Shanda Mints, Vice President of AI Strategy and Transformation.
58% of managers fear that employees will fake work. But surprise! Leaders might be faking it even more.
The employee completed all their tasks: submitted a report, prepared a presentation, and evaluated candidates for a new position. Phew! They were done for the week. And it was only Wednesday!
To some extent, this scenario is many leaders’ worst nightmare, and it’s not entirely far-fetched: new figures from Workhuman show that 58% of managers fear that employees, lacking sufficient work, will fake it, and that 32% of employees do so regularly. They resort to various tricks, from filling up Outlook calendars to holding onto tasks for a few days after completing them. And it turns out that employees aren’t the only ones experiencing a lack of time: around 37% of managers and leaders also admit to occasionally faking work. “This strikes a chord when it comes to remote work,” says Mark Royal, employee engagement expert and senior partner at Korn Ferry.
Delegating tasks has always been tricky for managers. If you assign too much work to team members, burnout and dissatisfaction spread; if you assign too little, you end up with a team of avid Netflix viewers during the day. This was especially problematic during the pandemic, when weekday golf increased by 83% between 2019 and 2022, and Wednesday 4 p.m. golf skyrocketed by 278%. Gone are the days when employees would say, “Boss, I’m done. What else do you have for me?” Post-pandemic hybrid work models have raised concerns among leaders about demotivation and a lack of interest among employees. Today’s leaders are more worried about this and, crucially, have more tools to monitor it.
Hybrid work has intensified the situation, keeping employees at home, out of sight of their bosses. Even the most diligent workers find themselves with natural breaks throughout the day that they previously spent chatting with colleagues. “It’s a consequence of the remote work environment,” says Sharon Egilinsky, an organizational strategy expert and partner at Korn Ferry. “Those who are proactive and take ownership simply have more time.”
Apparently, this also includes managers and leaders, according to data from Workhuman, an employee recognition company. Experts note that managers are more likely to supervise workers from the so-called sandwich generation, who are caring for children or parents (or both) and tend to fake productivity in order to manage their multiple responsibilities. “There can be a lot of pressure on leaders in their forties and fifties,” says Alma Derricks, senior client partner at Korn Ferry.
To address this simulation, experts suggest that companies can try to ease the perceived pressure on both workers and managers. The question, according to Royal, is why people feel the need to appear constantly available. Ideally, the goal should be to help employees work smarter, not harder. Leaders can rest assured that low motivation or disengagement isn’t the cause. Data from Korn Ferry indicates that engagement levels increased during the pandemic and remained stable afterward. “We’re not seeing an epidemic of disengagement,” Royal says.
Reducing the Perception of Absence
For workers who must use messaging apps, experts advise managers to focus on reducing the stigma associated with perceived absence, explains Shanda Mints, vice president of RPO analytics and implementation at Korn Ferry. “As managers, we need to manage outcomes and be less critical of the stigma.”
Learn more about Korn Ferry’s workforce management capabilities.
Engaged workers may be busy, even if they pretend to be, according to research.
The following article comes from The Guardian website and is authored by Nicola Davis, science correspondent for The Guardian and host of the Science Weekly podcast. She holds an MSc in Chemistry and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Oxford University.
A study warns that teams may appear productive at work, but in reality, they act in a Machiavellian manner.
Nicola Davis: There are teams of tireless workers and complainers, but according to researchers, there is another type of team at work, and their intentions are not good.
Researchers claim that these “Machiavellian” individuals appear to be fully committed to teamwork, but in reality, they act in an individualistic way.
Amy Armstrong, from Ashridge Executive Education, who led the study, explained that the research is part of an effort to explore how to increase engagement at work.
“Engagement levels in this country remain very low. They have stagnated for many years, and we have some of the highest levels of active disengagement in Western Europe,” he said, adding that disengaged employees were more vocal, had more absences than engaged employees, and took up most of managers’ time.
Since many employees work in groups, the researchers focused their attention on teams. They studied 28 employee teams across seven sectors, from the National Health Service (NHS) to transportation, with up to 15 people per team. Four teams were compared within each organization.
Based on indicators such as responses to employee surveys, half of these teams were rated by their employers as “highly engaged”—meaning they gave their all—while the other half were labeled as “disengaged.”
However, Armstrong and his colleagues discovered that all was not as it seemed. In speaking with team members, researchers found that two of the 14 supposedly engaged groups were actually just going through the motions. One group was actively disengaged, and four groups showed only superficial engagement.
“I would describe these [superficially engaged] teams as Machiavellian,” Armstrong said.
The report revealed that these teams say and do things to project a positive image, but in reality, they are only pretending; in fact, the atmosphere is negative, and participants are more concerned with their own interests than those of the group. The report notes that team leaders often resort to recreational activities to try to strengthen relationships, although they are criticized for being primarily concerned with the image they project to management.
“In day-to-day work, we observed them lengthening the workload to fill time,” Armstrong explained. “They were quite proud of taking advantage of the system and getting away with it.” For example, if teams worked six-hour shifts, they would boast about finishing their work in four hours and spending the remaining two hours relaxing and drinking tea.
Armstrong added that this had repercussions. “A new member might join the team enthusiastically, but soon observe dysfunctional behaviors around them and think, ‘Why bother?’”
In addition to pointing out problems with engagement surveys, Armstrong stated that the results could help organizations find ways to boost employee effort.
Armstrong indicated that organizations should reward teams more than individuals,
and that team leaders and managers should convey the message that “you can only achieve so much individually; it is through collective and shared goals that we can achieve productivity.”
“Fauxductivity”: Is it really a problem, and how can companies address it?
The following article comes from the People Management website and is written by Isabel Jackson, a junior editor at People Management.
People Management analyzes whether the latest HR buzzword points to a real problem affecting workplaces and, if so, what can be done to eradicate it.
With Amazon requiring its employees to return to the office five days a week and PwC monitoring the location of its employees to ensure they comply with on-site work requirements, it could be said that we have entered an era in which monitoring employee productivity has become an obsession for many companies.
But with the arrival of “fauxductivity,” the latest buzzword in the HR world, who can blame them? The term refers to employees who appear productive without actually accomplishing anything. Instead of tackling meaningful tasks, they seemingly try to appear busy or, if working remotely, pretend to move the mouse to give the illusion of working.
However, recent research by Workhuman calls this trend into question: while the survey of 2,000 employees in the US, UK, and Ireland revealed that half (48%) of managers consider faking work a common problem in their teams, two-thirds (67%) of respondents denied engaging in this behavior.
The statistics raise the question of whether “faking productivity” is a real problem or an invention of employers in the face of growing distrust of staff in the era of remote work and stereotypes that label new employees as lazy and unmotivated. People Management consults experts on the truth, what might be causing it, and how employers can address it.
Does “faking productivity” really exist?
“False productivity is something we’ve probably all seen before,” Lucy Fitzgerald, CEO and founder of Fitzgerald HR, told People Management. She explained that while it’s not a new problem, it has “taken on new forms, as remote and hybrid work makes it harder for managers to supervise their teams.”
Fitzgerald explained that the problem isn’t simply due to laziness, but that over-monitoring could be contributing to it: “Yes, there will always be people who take advantage of the system and do the bare minimum, but in most cases, false productivity can be a sign of deeper workplace issues, and not simply employees trying to avoid work.”
“The shift to remote work has created a real challenge for managers who can’t see their team in action every day. This sometimes leads to over-monitoring or micromanagement, which can actually worsen productivity. Nobody wants to feel constantly watched; “It damages trust and motivation.”
Karl Bennett, director of wellbeing at Perkbox Vivup and president of EAPA, explains to People Management: “There are, of course, serious cases of fraudulent employee behavior, where some find ways to simulate activity when, in reality, they are not working. But it is also true that visibility has become a new indicator of trust. They are more closely linked than ever before.”
“Employee work activity has often become binary: working or not working, being at the computer or not, with the computer on or off,” he adds, explaining that the problem lies in this culture, rather than in the behavior of the employees themselves.
Daniel Wheatley, professor of business and labor economics at Birmingham Business School, agrees with this view and tells People Management: “Behind every concern there will be some supporting evidence; however, the tendency to treat anecdotal or individual cases of false productivity as evidence of more widespread behavior is an approach that is likely to lead to misguided interventions by managers and potentially negative outcomes for all parties.”
He states that genuine false productivity “likely reflects that the employee does not find meaning in their work or views their current job as a temporary solution to generate income while they look for a more desirable opportunity,” adding: “In these cases, employers should analyze the position itself and its suitability to the values, skills, and experience of these employees.”
How should employers respond?
The “marked difference” between managers’ and employees’ perceptions of the existence of false productivity highlights “fundamental communication problems” and a lack of trust in many workplaces, according to Melissa Carr, director of EDI at the Institute of the World of Work at Henley Business School.
However, while false productivity may be indicative of broader workplace issues, rather than simply employee laziness, experts agree that employers can take steps to address this problem directly.
Carr states that organizations can drive cultural changes to mitigate the problems that encourage presenteeism over productivity, which creates the perception of false productivity. “It’s easy for an organization to develop a culture where presenteeism and demonstrating being ‘busy’ become the norm, and where the focus is too much on work processes rather than results,” she explains.
“Leaders and managers can model a healthy work-life balance, allow people to work flexibly, and ensure clear communication about expected outcomes.”
Wheatley states that there is a disconnect between employees and managers that needs to be addressed: “In many cases, employees engage in activities they consider necessary and even important for completing their tasks, but managers don’t always appreciate the value of some of these activities or their connection to employees’ more visible work efforts.
This can reflect a prioritization of short-term results and achievements by management, which ignores the value of preparation, time for reflection, breaks, and recovery periods needed to prevent burnout and achieve overall goals.”
He explains that suspicions of falsified productivity in the workplace could drive the imposition of managerial control mechanisms, such as those used by Amazon earlier this year when it was fined £27 million for its overly intrusive system in its French warehouse, where scanners were used to monitor productivity and work hours.
Monitoring can exacerbate the problem.
While this is an extreme example of managerial control, Wheatley argues that surveillance and monitoring of employees risk exacerbating the problem where it already exists and fueling more widespread resistance and discontent among employees. He adds: “Employers need a more thoughtful approach, one that requires understanding the root causes of the problem and where it is actually occurring.”
Helen Scullion, HR client manager at Limelite HR, agrees and suggests: “Empowering employees to have autonomy over how they achieve their goals gives them greater flexibility and creates space for authentic productivity, reducing the pressure to be seen as always available.”
Team leaders should meet regularly with their remote employees to ensure their workload aligns with team objectives and to create a safe space for feedback and questions. This will also increase employee engagement, boost productivity, and help reduce workplace bias.
For more information on flexible and hybrid working, visit the CIPD website.
Why You Should Stop Pretending You’re Busy. I used to lie about how many hours I worked, until I discovered the true cost of pretending to be busy
The following contribution comes from INC.com and is authored by Alistair Clark, a former management consultant and current performance coach at worklifefitness.co. He teaches high performers how to gain a competitive edge at work with productivity systems, fitness programs, and lifestyle tips designed to survive 60- to 100-plus-hour workweeks. Get started with the free 30-page guide, “Survive the All-Nights.”
Have you ever felt like everyone around you is working nonstop?
For example, ask someone a simple question like, “How are you?” and listen to the response…
“I’m super busy!”
“I’m exhausted.”
“Work is crazy right now.”
When I was a management consultant, I worked with someone just like her. She was, quite literally, the busiest person in the world. Or at least that’s what she wanted people to think.
She typed nonstop from morning till night, rushing around the office with her laptop and a stack of papers in hand. I don’t know where she was going, but it seemed like something important.
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I’d see her and think, “What important project is she working on right now?” I even felt a little self-conscious because I wasn’t as busy as she was.
So I did what any competitive person would do: I pretended to be busy.
In conversations, I started exaggerating how many hours I worked. An 8-hour day always turned into a 10-hour day. A 60-hour week stretched to 80. Before long, my go-to response was, “I’m super busy!” even if I had a quiet day.
Why do we do this? Why do you do it?
The Myth of the Ideal Worker
According to an HBR article titled “Why Do Some Men Fake 80-Hour Weeks?”, the answer lies in “the myth of the ideal worker.”
“In many professional jobs, one is expected to be an ‘ideal worker’: completely dedicated and available for work, with no personal responsibilities or interests to interfere with this work commitment.”
Linked to this expectation is the belief that being an ideal worker leads to success.
“[…] people believed that success did, in effect, require the dedication of an ideal worker. Many reported 60- to 80-hour weeks, with little control over when they worked those hours and whether they would have to travel. Work was expected to take priority over other life responsibilities.”
These two pressures—the expectation of working long hours and the belief that this would lead to success—led employees to lie about the hours they worked.
Our email program includes a time client. So you can see in your inbox who’s online and who’s not. And there’s an unspoken culture here: if you don’t see someone online at the same time at a certain time of night, you wonder what on earth they’re doing.
I worked at a company that used a similar system, and it led to ridiculous attempts to appear busy and important. For example, some analysts would go so far as to leave their laptops on over the weekend to make it look like they were working longer hours.
A solution to the cult of busyness
Remember the “busiest woman in the world” I told you about earlier?
Well, after two years of being incredibly busy, she was fired for poor performance. Apparently, all that hustle and bustle was due to her incompetence, not her importance.
When I heard the news, I’m ashamed to admit that I actually felt better about myself. It meant I had a better chance of getting promoted.
Deep down, our competitiveness drives us to lie about how many hours we work. For most of our lives, we’re told the world is a zero-sum game. For you to succeed, someone else has to fail.
But here’s the key: the world isn’t a zero-sum game. We all know that working long hours doesn’t make you successful. The HBR study confirmed this, stating:
“A crucial implication of this research is that working long hours is not necessary for high-quality work.”
You know it’s true, I know it’s true, and yet we all play along, pretending to be busy. A better strategy?
The next time someone asks you, “How are you?” resist the temptation to quickly reply, “I’m super busy.” Instead, be honest, be vulnerable, and accept that people don’t think you work 24/7.
I’m curious: why do you think we lie about how many hours we work?
Leave a comment below.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own and do not represent those of Inc.com.
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Slacker Attack! Generation Z Masters the Art of Faking Busy Work
The following article comes from the New York Post website and is written by Jeanne Erickson, a member of the editorial staff.
For some workers, pretending to be busy has become part of the job description, and Generation Z has turned it into an art form.
A new survey of 1,003 full-time American professionals revealed that 80% of Generation Z workers admit to faking productivity after completing their actual work—the highest rate of any generation, far surpassing millennials (68%) and Generation X (58%), according to Software Finder, a technology consulting firm.
But Generation Z isn’t alone.
A new survey indicates that 80% of Generation Z workers waste work time.
Overall, 66% of employees admitted to faking busy after the end of their workday. On average, they spend nearly five hours a week keeping up appearances, which equates to about 32 working days, or almost seven full work weeks a year.
Instead of logging off and risking their boss’s disapproval, many resort to simple tricks to appear active.
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Among Generation Z workers, 56% admit to periodically moving their mouse or using a secondary browser. Forty-three percent of young employees deliberately postpone responding to non-urgent messages to appear busier than they actually are.
Hybrid employees were the most likely to engage in this practice, with 76% admitting to faking productivity, compared to 66% of remote workers and 57% of full-time office employees.
Managers aren’t leading by example either. Nearly three-quarters (73%) admitted to faking busyness, usually to please their bosses.
The eight-hour workday doesn’t work for younger employees. Only 18% of workers said they felt guilty about this behavior, while just 7% resented having to do it.
“It’s not that they reject work, but rather that they reject the idea that sitting at a desk until 5 p.m. automatically equates to productivity,” Marium Lodhi, marketing director at Software Finder, told The Post. The more pertinent question isn’t, “How do we make employees appear busy?” but rather, “How do we reward employees who complete excellent work quickly?”
Generation Z, raised with technology, knows how to exploit the system and still appear to be working.
More than half of the workers who feign productivity said they complete their tasks at least an hour before leaving work, while 22% finish two or more hours early.
Many said they would gladly log off if they knew they wouldn’t be judged for it.
In contrast, 64% admitted that they intentionally slow down because finishing too quickly usually leads to only one reward: more work.
Many employees would gladly log off if there were no consequences.
Employee monitoring seems to worsen the problem rather than improve it. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of workers at companies that use productivity-tracking software said that surveillance actually increases the likelihood that they will fake activity.
Feeling tense and stressed
This aligns with previous research. Data from the American Psychological Association revealed that 56% of employees whose work is electronically monitored report feeling tense or stressed at work.
Employees want to be honest with their employers and log off when they actually finish their work.
Ironically, pretending to be productive can be more exhausting than the work itself. Nearly half (49%) said that appearing constantly busy has contributed to burnout, while 75% indicated that productivity-monitoring software generates more stress than productivity.
Employees aren’t necessarily trying to deceive everyone. 35% said they perform well for their direct manager, while 31% admitted they’ve simply gotten used to it, even when no one is watching.
“Ambition hasn’t disappeared,” Lodhi said. “But the willingness to sacrifice evenings, weekends, and unnecessary screen time to demonstrate commitment has. Younger workers are redefining the true meaning of success.”
Surprising Number of Gen Z Employees Faking Productivity at Work: Survey
The following article, originally published by AOL, is from a New York Post article by Asia Grace, a member of the editorial team.
Generation Z employees are the most likely to fake productivity at work due to burnout, fatigue, and micromanagement by their bosses, who monitor their activity with specialized surveillance software and force them to work exclusively in the office, according to a July 2026 study.
These nine-to-five fakers are simply going through the motions.
Generation Z employees are merely pretending to work, moving around the office with paperwork to appear busy and typing incessantly to simulate meticulousness. This is according to compelling new data on workplace laziness.
According to a July 2026 report by Software Finder, an expert search platform, 66% of employees and 73% of managers admit to faking productivity at work.
Members of Generation Z make up the largest group of employees who fake productivity, according to a new report. Drobot Dean – stock.adobe.com
“The average worker spends five hours a week maintaining the appearance of productivity; that equates to 32.5 days, or almost seven work weeks, per year,” wrote the experts, who found that 80% of young Generation Z employees under the age of 28 are guilty of this practice.
According to the study, the most blatant offenders are professionals in the financial sector, with 85% of workers admitting to faking productivity.
But this charade isn’t solely due to a generational lack of productivity.
In reality, it’s a simulation based on burnout, fatigue, and intense micromanagement by executives who prioritize visibility over results, according to the findings.
Workers forced to meet the demands of working exclusively in the office experience the highest rates of burnout and fatigue, according to the findings.
Researchers surveyed 1,003 full-time American professionals, including remote, hybrid, and on-site workers, to understand the frequency, reasons, and methods of simulating productivity.
The researchers determined that a surprising 53% of on-site workers feel compelled to keep up appearances at their desks, while 49% and 41% of hybrid and fully remote employees, respectively, expressed similar feelings.
When Pressure Contributes to Burnout
“Nearly half (49%) of workers who simulate productivity stated that the pressure to appear busy contributed to burnout or fatigue,” the analysts noted. “The emotional impact also increased with company size.”
Among workers who faked productivity, burnout rates rose to 56% in organizations with more than 1,000 employees.
Working under surveillance also negatively impacts employee morale, with 63% stating that monitoring software made them more likely to fake activity.
Both employees and managers tend to fake productivity, even when their companies monitor them, according to researchers.
Overall, 75% of workers agreed that monitoring software generates more stress than productivity, the specialists found.
Workers attributed the simulation of productivity primarily to the general work culture (27%) and to managers who prioritize presence over performance (22%).
To deceive their bosses, 56% of employees periodically move their mouse, while another 56% keep a document or browser tab open as a performance measure. And 43% respond slowly to non-urgent messages to simulate activity.
But junior employees are the only ones who feign demotivation.
The study revealed that those who work 9 to 5 experience greater stress and dissatisfaction when they are subject to micromanagement and constant supervision at work.
A surprising 75% of middle managers and 44% of directors and senior managers admitted to faking being busy. While 46% acknowledged feigning productivity in the hopes of making a good impression on their superiors, a surprising 11% of managers, like employees, blamed the HR department or over-monitoring systems.
Consultants suggest that companies begin to trust their employees instead of overprotecting them.
“Many employees aren’t avoiding work. They’re simply responding to work cultures that still reward visibility as much as results,” the experts explained. “As companies continue to rethink productivity in hybrid and digital environments, there’s an opportunity to reduce unproductive work by creating healthier systems based on trust, flexibility, and productivity.”
“Organizations that focus more on results than appearances may be better positioned to improve both employee well-being and productivity in the long run.”
How Effective Feedback Drives Performance
The following contribution comes from the website of the global consulting firm Gallup and is authored by Denise McLain and Bailey Nelson. McLain is a Senior Strategic Consultant and Practice Expert at Gallup, and Nelson is a team member.
Key Points
Employees who receive regular feedback are more engaged.
Effective feedback is timely and relevant.
Good managers use feedback to create a development-focused culture.
“How am I doing?” “Did it go well?” “What could I do differently next time?”
Employees crave feedback on their performance from their leaders, managers, and peers. They want information that will allow them to improve their skills and future potential. And now more than ever, employee feedback is critical to engagement. Gallup data shows that 80% of employees who report receiving meaningful feedback in the past week are fully engaged.
However, with the fast pace of business, it’s tempting to move on to the next task or objective after a client presentation or a busy shift. But meaningful feedback doesn’t hinder performance; it propels it forward.
The key word here is meaningful: Not all feedback is created equal. In Gallup’s customer performance feedback examples, it often involves a lengthy conversation between employee and manager that requires managers to do preparatory work to evaluate the employee’s performance over the past few months. In today’s fast-paced world, this scenario is impractical, ineffective, and difficult to implement.
Quick Feedback
A more meaningful and accessible way to provide feedback is quickly and frequently, so organizations could benefit from renaming their approach “Quick Feedback.”
The Quick Feedback approach makes it easier and simpler for managers to give feedback, which they often find intimidating and overwhelming. When receiving feedback from a manager is easy and routine, everyone can feel comfortable and know what and how to improve. And as Rapid Feedback becomes the norm, a culture of meaningful feedback will emerge, which is the ultimate goal.
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In-depth analysis: What is employee engagement, really?
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The benefits of a culture of meaningful feedback are numerous. A work environment where feedback is rapid and frequent:
Fosters agility: Rapid feedback motivates employees and allows teams to make performance adjustments in real time, creating a competitive advantage.
Improves job performance: Employees are 3.6 times more likely to strongly agree that they feel motivated to do exceptional work when their manager provides them with daily (rather than annual) feedback.
Retains talent: Today, employees seek work with purpose and a manager who recognizes and accelerates their progress.
In our experience, many organizations know that continuous feedback is best, but they struggle to activate the behaviors needed to achieve it at scale. Therefore, they cling to traditional approaches (such as annual reviews) where managers delay feedback until they find the “right moment.”
Leaders can address this problem by cultivating a culture where feedback sharing is frequent and effective. Our work with clients reveals the smartest first step: empowering managers to provide inspiring feedback.
The Manager’s Central Role in a Feedback Culture
Managers who consistently listen, ask questions, understand the context, and foster dialogue have developed a coaching mindset. These top-performing managers use ongoing conversations to provide motivating feedback that celebrates successes and adjusts performance.
How Managers Can Deliver Meaningful and Timely Feedback
According to Gallup science, here’s what distinguishes time-consuming feedback from time-sensitive feedback that drives results.
Meaningful feedback is frequent.
Effective feedback has an expiration date. It needs to be a regular occurrence—in most jobs, several times a week. People remember their most recent experiences best, so feedback is most valuable when it comes immediately after an action.
Managers should maintain an ongoing dialogue with employees, using conversations that offer timely and immediate feedback that is inspiring, instructive, and practical. For example, a manager might conclude a team meeting by commenting on how much they appreciated the team coming in with well-thought-out ideas about the new initiative. The manager’s comment highlights the benefits of team preparation and suggests strategies for making the next meeting even more effective.
The best managers use continuous conversations to provide motivating feedback that celebrates successes and adjusts performance.
The best managers also prioritize active listening, turning feedback into a two-way dialogue rather than simply expressing their subjective observations. When a manager asks an employee for their perspective, the employee is more likely to take ownership, become an exceptional contributor, and do their best for the organization.
Meaningful feedback is concise.
Ineffective feedback is vague and does not drive change. For example, classifying all team members using the same general criteria doesn’t reflect each individual’s unique strengths or their daily work.
The best managers personalize feedback based on employees’ natural talents and performance needs. They ensure that feedback is relevant to individual contributions and the organization’s purpose, showing employees how their daily efforts impact the bigger picture.
When feedback is concise, employees perceive it as fair and authentic because it reflects their contributions and is within their control. By clarifying expectations, managers help employees focus their efforts on the right goals and key performance indicators (KPIs).
Meaningful feedback is future-oriented. Dwelling on an employee’s past mistakes is not motivating at all. Managers can foster growth by focusing on the present and the future, recognizing employee achievements, and removing obstacles for tomorrow. What can we do to improve even further? How can we prepare for the future? What did you learn from this stage?
This doesn’t mean managers shouldn’t acknowledge the past: reflection facilitates learning. High-performing employees don’t just seek positive feedback; they want to be encouraged to give their best.
The best managers personalize feedback based on each employee’s natural talents and performance needs.
Managers can address weaknesses and incorporate negative feedback constructively by focusing on observable behaviors rather than employee characteristics. They should keep employee development as their primary goal.
Here are some examples of employee feedback:
Unhelpful feedback: “That presentation you gave to the client last quarter really hurt us… honestly, I’m not sure we can salvage the relationship.”
Constructive feedback (immediately after the presentation or later that day): “What did you think of the presentation? I noticed the client had some questions that seemed to indicate they weren’t following the explanation. What can we do next time to address this?”
Leaders must create a development-focused, performance-driven culture.
Here are three actions leaders should take today to create an environment where meaningful feedback has a significant impact:
- Transform your managers into coaches.
Discover the “From Boss to Coach” Learning Path
Management Development
Discover the “From Boss to Coach” Learning Path
Achieve exceptional results in strengths-based development, employee engagement, and performance.
Coaching is a unique skill that managers must cultivate. Fortunately, the right management development demystifies coaching and transforms the manager’s mindset, giving them exactly what they need to become expert coaches who deliver excellent feedback.
- Adjust your management practices and performance metrics.
It’s time to abandon annual reviews and embrace the five coaching conversations that scientific studies have shown improve performance. Leaders must evaluate their current approach to performance management and then implement the necessary changes to adopt feedback-driven performance development.
- Become a Feedback Advocate.
In a development-focused work culture, feedback is not a one-way or top-down process. Employees, managers, and leaders alike must give and receive feedback, demonstrating appreciation for each other’s efforts through honest, open, and ongoing dialogue. Peer feedback strengthens relationships and interdepartmental collaboration.
Leaders should take the first step: model the behaviors they want their managers to exhibit by sharing the “Quick Feedback” tool with them. Help your managers provide meaningful feedback by prioritizing their professional development. Then, watch as your feedback culture accelerates productivity and engagement in the workplace.
Build a development-focused culture that values feedback.
Discover what your organizational culture means to your employees and customers.
Learn more about the impact engaged employees have on an organization.
Author(s): Denise McLain is a Senior Strategic Consultant and Practice Expert at Gallup.
Iseult Morgan contributed to this article.
The Jordan Harbinger Show
The following contribution comes from The Jordan Harbinger Show website, which describes itself as follows: Jordan Harbinger is the host of The Jordan Harbinger Show and the main voice of the podcast. As a former lawyer who speaks five languages and has been kidnapped twice, Jordan brings his unique experience and personality to each episode. But he doesn’t do it alone. Jordan is surrounded by an exceptional team that makes The Jordan Harbinger Show possible.
REAL CONVERSATION. SMART.
Signs You’re Not Well-Known at Work (And What to Do About It)
Adrian was frustrated.
After working four years in sales at a major manufacturing company, he had been passed over for a promotion twice. The hiring committee wouldn’t give him a clear answer as to why, and he struggled to understand exactly what he needed to improve. He also felt like the odd one out in the office, always on the sidelines of the social circles that formed around the workplace. Furthermore, he found it difficult to obtain the resources he needed to do his job well: help, information, extra funding—all things his colleagues seemed to get much more easily.
But it wasn’t that his colleagues didn’t treat him well. They invited him for drinks, included him in team meetings, and acknowledged his contributions. He wasn’t discriminated against or marginalized. They weren’t ignoring him or relegating him to a secondary role. His performance reviews were above average, his conversations were cordial, and his supervisors recognized his efforts.
He simply knew, deep down, that something wasn’t right.
That’s when he contacted me.
After months of trying to diagnose the problem, we meticulously analyzed all these interactions to uncover what was really going on.
And what we finally discovered was that, while Adrian was appreciated at work, he wasn’t well-liked. He had the courtesy of his colleagues, but not their solidarity. He had the approval of his supervisors, but not their loyalty. And the obvious signs of being appreciated—like being invited for drinks after work or receiving praise for your results—only showed part of the picture.
The rest of the picture depended on much more subtle signs, signs that are important for anyone, in any profession, to pay attention to if they want to thrive, advance, and become an essential asset.
That’s what we’ll talk about in this article: signs that you’re not truly appreciated at work and what you can do to change it.
Let’s start with one of the most common indicators:
You’re not getting promoted and you don’t know why.
Not getting promoted at work for an extended period is often the most obvious sign that something isn’t right in your career. But even more telling is not getting promoted and not knowing why.
When I spoke with Adrian, he told me about the feedback he received from the hiring committee after the last round of promotions.
“You need to focus more on practical recommendations than general solutions,” one committee member said.
“Distribute your time more efficiently among your projects,” said one.
“Manage expectations,” suggested a third.
Which isn’t the worst feedback in the world, if you can ignore the cheesy corporate jargon. (Obviously, I can’t. And that’s why I created my own program where anyone who uses buzzwords like “synergy” or “next generation” gets called out in the Slack group!)
But those recommendations didn’t give Adrian anything concrete to focus on, anything specific to work on in the coming year. At first, he thought his superiors were just lazy because they were afraid to tell him the truth. Only after analyzing their conversations did he begin to wonder if they really cared enough about him to actually help. It was a hard truth to accept, but it explained many of his interactions with his bosses.
If you don’t have a solid, clear, and practical understanding of why you’re not progressing at work, that’s a red flag.
Why?
Because it means you’re not only not getting promoted, but you’re also not being taken seriously enough to receive the information you need to advance.
Being taken seriously—even when it comes to bad news—is another key indicator that you’re valued and have good connections at work.
Think of it this way:
If you’re not getting promoted, but you’re receiving plenty of constructive feedback on how to improve, it probably means your managers want you to improve. It means they want you to progress, that they have the information you need to grow, and that they expect you to know what to do with it. It might be disappointing not to get promoted, but if you receive a good development plan, it’s actually a sign of undisguised confidence.
But if you’re not getting promoted and then they give you the runaround about why, your managers are implicitly saying they don’t want to set you up for future success. (Or they’re too busy focusing on their own careers, or too distracted solving their own problems, or too important to offer constructive feedback—which, ultimately, amounts to the same thing.)
That’s why it doesn’t always make sense to judge the quality of your career solely by whether you’ve received a single raise or promotion. A much better indicator of your success is whether they’re investing in you, whether they’re grooming you for future advancement.
So, if you’re feeling confused, insecure, or completely in the dark about why you’re not progressing—and why others are—it’s a sign that something needs to change.
Another sign that something needs to change is when…
You feel disconnected, demotivated, or sidelined.
Most people evaluate their careers using external indicators: salary, bonuses, performance reviews, sales targets, and so on. And these are certainly important indicators.
But there’s another metric—more qualitative—that also reveals a lot about your position in the office: your subjective experience at work each day.
How do you feel at the end of the day? Do you feel connected to your colleagues? Do you feel inspired? Do you feel supported? Do you feel, most days, that your purpose lies in your work?
Adrian talked a lot about this in our conversation: how the external indicators of his job performance were acceptable, but he simply didn’t feel a strong connection to his work or his team. We delved deeper into this together and discovered that his intuition was accurate and contained a lot of useful information.
Now, we need to pause here, because we all know that our intuition can easily fail us. So this signal can be a bit misleading.
For example, a star employee with severe imposter syndrome might doubt whether anyone in the office truly trusts him—whether he even deserves his job—even though he’s performing exceptionally well. That doesn’t mean he’s failing. They simply feel this way because they haven’t internalized their achievements.
Our instincts can also fail us when we’re in a company culture that doesn’t suit us. In a cutthroat office full of people we don’t get along with, it’s easy to worry that everyone hates you, when in reality your bosses are simply unhappy, your colleagues resent you for your good performance, and the company is going through a rough patch. The work environment has a huge impact.
And, of course, our personal lives constantly influence our work. If you’ve just gone through a painful breakup, gotten into debt, or had a fight with your father, you’re probably not feeling very optimistic about work. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re failing in your career. You have to separate your feelings about your life in general from your subjective experience at your workplace in particular.
In other words, interpreting this signal isn’t as simple as thinking, “I haven’t been feeling very optimistic lately, so my colleagues must not like me.” However, reflecting on your day-to-day life does provide important information about how you’re perceived in the office.
So, if you spend a lot of time at work feeling anxious, confused, or marginalized, it’s a sign you should pay attention to. These feelings could even border on paranoia. Do they hate me? Are they going to fire me? Is something going on that I don’t know about? These thoughts often indicate that you don’t have a close connection with your colleagues, that you aren’t receiving valuable feedback, and that you aren’t finding true satisfaction in your work.
On the other hand, if you feel enthusiastic, motivated, and fulfilled at work—even if those experiences generate some stress—it probably means you have a good relationship with your colleagues, that your managers support you, and that you are a valuable member of the team.
Our instincts tell us whether we are valued, respected, and appreciated within an organization.
As social beings, we know when we truly connect with a coworker or if the conversation is superficial. We sense when a manager takes us seriously and when they treat us condescendingly. We intuit when a selection committee is genuinely interested in our success or if they are just stalling. Essentially, we are hardwired to perceive how we fit into the social fabric of our world. And those signals rarely fail us.
So, if you feel disconnected, demotivated, or on the sidelines—if you have a persistent, mild anxiety that something isn’t right—pay attention to that experience.
These feelings don’t necessarily mean it’s solely your fault, of course. But if you feel this way for an extended period, as Adrian did, then it almost certainly means your relationships and reputation need improvement. This could be because your colleagues aren’t thoughtful enough to invest in you. Or it could be because your performance isn’t inspiring them to invest in you.
It’s up to you to figure out which of these scenarios applies to you. But the first step is recognizing that your subjective experience at work is trying to tell you something crucial about the quality of your career.
You’re only focused on yourself.
We’ve talked a lot about the importance of improving your image at work, so this last indicator might seem contradictory. But as important as being well-regarded in your career is, it’s equally important—in some cases even more important—to be concerned about how your colleagues perceive you. People who focus only on themselves end up stagnating in their careers.
Interestingly, high-performing professionals often fall into this trap. They think that by focusing exclusively on their own careers, they’ll be rewarded by their bosses and won’t have to worry about others. And for a while, that philosophy seems to work.
But in the process, they sacrifice something else: the support, experience, and solidarity of their colleagues. They meet all the external indicators of success, but they fail to connect with others in a way that fosters loyalty, rapport, and commitment. Over time, that gap becomes a real disadvantage, especially when they reach a level where they need those relationships—for example, when they start leading others, building a team, or trying to achieve new, ambitious goals.
This sign is also deceptive because it can be difficult to detect. If you start climbing the corporate ladder, your colleagues are likely to think twice before telling you what they really think. They might hide their true opinions about you, praise your achievements, and try even harder for your approval. Meanwhile, they might be resenting your selfishness and talking behind your back. And the higher you climb, the greater the incentive for your colleagues to manipulate the situation, and the more you’ll isolate yourself from that feedback. In short, that’s one of the biggest disadvantages high performers face.
Interestingly, this also happened to Adrian.
After realizing he needed to improve his image in the office, he got to work, directly asking his managers what areas he needed to improve and developing an ambitious personal development plan. For the next nine months, he dedicated all his energy to improving his performance, developing his leadership skills, and gaining a better understanding of his industry. The following year, he finally got the promotion he’d been longing for.
But as he climbed the ladder, Adrian found he still felt distant from several of his colleagues. However, this feeling was different from before. Whereas previously he felt his colleagues didn’t like him much, now he felt they had strong opinions, and not always favorable ones. He sensed a new tension with some of his colleagues and even discovered that one of them was undermining him behind his back.
We talked again and finally figured out what was going on.
By taking himself too seriously, Adrian forgot to take those around him seriously as well. Then, once he was promoted, he didn’t have the support he needed to fully develop in his role. His personal ambition, while healthy and important, wasn’t balanced with an investment in the people around him.
People who focus exclusively on themselves will never be appreciated by everyone at work, regardless of their performance.
This is true in any industry, any workplace, and any position. It’s also true in friendship, family, and love. The only way to truly connect with others is by helping them succeed alongside you. If you don’t, these relationships will eventually wither (and, in many cases, deteriorate) because they aren’t nurtured. That’s basically what happened to Adrian.
So, even if you don’t always perceive this signal subjectively, it’s worth paying attention to this indicator. Just ask yourself: Am I solely focused on my own life right now? Or am I also taking care of those around me? Am I looking for ways to use my success to help others progress? Or am I only focused on my own career advancement?
If you find that you haven’t invested enough in your colleagues—supporting them in meetings, offering fresh perspectives, introducing them to other people, or simply getting to know them better—it’s quite possible that you’re not very popular at work. (Or, at least, not as popular as you could be.) And if you’re not, that’s almost certainly holding you back in some way.
And to be clear, I’m not talking about politics or politeness; I’m not suggesting you pretend to be a mentor or maintain the appearance of being the “nice guy” at work. I’m talking about making a genuine effort to care about your bosses, colleagues, and subordinates the same way you care about yourself, knowing that their success is ultimately tied to yours.
Cultivating relationships in this way is probably the most effective way to improve your image at work. It also addresses all the other indicators we’ve mentioned: understanding why you’re not progressing, feeling more connected and valued, and having access to the resources needed to advance.
Which brings us to the key question:
How to be appreciated at work? Now that we’ve discussed all these indicators, let’s briefly look at what to do with them. How do you get the information you need to get promoted? How do you improve your mood and your experience in the office? How do you connect better with your colleagues?
These are the questions Adrian and I explored together, and we discovered that the solutions fell into three main categories.
Demand the information you need.
As we saw, popular people tend to have greater access to the data they need to grow. Those who aren’t as popular are often deprived of this information or receive a less helpful version of events.
To change this dynamic, I recommend scheduling a meeting with your managers to discuss your development. Tell them you want to become the best employee you can be, contribute as much as possible to the team, and strive for advancement. Then, explain that to achieve this, you’d like to better understand the areas where you need to improve. Be clear, specific, and honest. Afterward, listen carefully and take notes.
Now, your managers may be reluctant to speak to you so frankly, so I recommend giving them permission to be direct. Tell them you take your career seriously and want to know everything; there’s no need to sugarcoat their comments or beat around the bush. As they speak, encourage them to elaborate and don’t allow them to resort to euphemisms or buzzwords. Promise yourself that you won’t leave this meeting until you have three to five specific, practical, and clear recommendations on how to improve, along with some resources to implement them.
In some cases, this simple conversation can completely change your boss’s perception of you. That’s exactly what happened to Adrian. The moment he mustered the courage to ask for the information he needed, his bosses started taking him more seriously. Sure, he still had to put in the effort, but he immediately noticed a change in how they treated him.
(And that’s a good principle to always keep in mind. Sometimes, when we’re unhappy with how we’re treated, we need to change how we treat them. We often resent not being given the resources we need, but by not saying so, we’re signaling that we don’t actually need them. It’s funny, isn’t it? Changing this pattern is crucial, and it starts with a conversation like this.)
Once you have the information you need, turn it into a specific development plan. Make a list of the books, courses, and certifications you need to explore. Write down the goals, key performance indicators (KPIs), and experiences that will help you reach the next level, and break them down into smaller tasks with deadlines. Block out time in your schedule to tackle the tasks you’ve been putting off. Ask for help from friends, colleagues, and mentors to stay motivated. You could even present this development plan to your managers and ask for their feedback. If you get their support from the start—and then share your progress with them every month or so—you’ll be much more likely to meet their expectations. Plus, they’ll find it hard to deny your effort when the next round of promotions comes around.
So, be persistent in getting the information you need. Fight for the advice you want. If you do, you’ll demonstrate your determination to grow and be better prepared for a promotion. And if you still struggle to progress, at least you’ll know you gave it your all and will be a stronger candidate for it. Then you can look for a company that truly recognizes your contributions.
Take ownership of your thoughts, feelings, and moods.
How you feel at work reflects and determines the quality of your career. Anxious, resentful, avoidant, or negative people tend to struggle more in the office, while confident, supportive, curious, and generally positive people tend to thrive. These moods can reveal a lot about how you’re perceived at work.
But how you feel on a daily basis also affects your results, your personal style, your relationships—ultimately, your overall outlook. So, if you want to improve your standing at work, you need to take ownership of your experience.
What does it mean to take ownership of your experience?
For starters, it means paying close attention to what you think and feel at work, and being curious about what those beliefs and moods are trying to teach you.
If you’re avoiding situations, who or what are you avoiding, and why? If you feel envy, what would you like to be able to do, be, or have? If you’ve been feeling depressed or apathetic for a while, what aspects of your career leave you feeling hopeless or bored? Acknowledging these experiences can be a little tedious or distressing at times, but they contain valuable insights you can draw upon.
To truly understand this information, I recommend keeping a “work journal.” At the end of each day, spend five minutes jotting down three to five key points about your achievements, your challenges, and anything interesting that happened within your team. I would also track some key indicators: your enthusiasm for your work, your relationships with colleagues, and your overall mood, and rate them from 1 to 5 (1 being “terrible” and 5 being “excellent”).
If you do this every day for a month, you’ll become much more connected to your daily experience. You’ll become aware of unconscious thoughts, recognize feelings you may have been suppressing, and start taking your thoughts much more seriously. You’ll also be able to see if your experience improves or worsens over time, which will help you decide if it’s time to make a change. Sometimes, when we don’t know how to improve our professional lives, it’s because we don’t really know how we feel. This simple ritual will solve that.
Taking ownership of your experience also means accepting that your thoughts and feelings won’t magically change on their own.
If you’re frustrated by not being well-received at work, suppressing your frustration won’t automatically make people appreciate you. (In fact, as we all know, the opposite will happen.) But if you acknowledge that frustration, express it to the right people, and take steps to change how you’re perceived at work, you’ll be channeling that feeling productively. And you’ll experience the satisfaction and empowerment that comes with taking control of your situation.
If you’re worried about how others perceive you and notice this is causing uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, I encourage you to give them voice. This means acknowledging them, first to yourself, ideally in your work journal. Then, I recommend setting aside time (literally an hour or two on your calendar each week) to explore them. You can do this alone or with a friend, colleague, mentor, or therapist. When talking about it, try to understand the origin of these thoughts and feelings, what you think they’re trying to teach you, and what they’re inviting you to consider. Finally, translate those experiences into concrete actions. This could mean creating a development plan, working on your personal style, improving your social skills, inviting colleagues out to lunch, or even looking for a new job.
Every situation requires a different solution, of course. The key is to turn these psychological reflections into practical steps that make sense to you. This is how you can turn these “signals” into data, these “setbacks” into opportunities.
Invest in your relationships.
Taking a genuine interest in your colleagues is undoubtedly the most effective way to improve your perception and experience at work. Investing in others gives you access to better information, makes you feel more connected and engaged, and allows your colleagues to empathize with you and identify with you. A strong network also generates significant long-term advantages, beyond just a promotion.
So start investing in your relationships at the office. Ask your colleagues how they are doing, where they are struggling, what they need to succeed, and then look for concrete ways to help them meet those needs. Notice when your managers might need help (more research, more time, a key presentation) and make an effort to address those needs. Take a genuine interest in your colleagues’ lives, both inside and outside the office, and consider being a friend as well as a coworker. When you learn something new, create a useful tool, or find a beneficial solution, share it with those around you. Share your value. Be generous with your resources.
The key is to start caring about others as much as you care about yourself. For specific techniques and systems to manage your relationships, I recommend our free Six-Minute Networking course. Over time, these investments will multiply significantly, not only in your current job but throughout your entire career.
If you do this consistently, you’ll see many of these indicators begin to improve. You’ll strengthen your relationships with people who can offer constructive feedback (who are often the same people who make promotion decisions). You’ll start participating in key decisions (which will boost your chances of promotion). And you’ll redirect the energy you previously spent feeling anxious or resentful toward helping others (which will improve your mood and help them see you as a positive and productive person who deserves to advance).
Ultimately, Adrian adopted all these solutions and achieved what he had been seeking from the beginning: a promotion. But he only achieved it because he finally decided to take himself and those around him seriously. He not only progressed because he was a proactive employee, but because he applied that proactivity to everything he did, starting with a willingness to acknowledge how popular he actually was and what that sign really meant to him.