My Thoughts
Productivity Isn't What You Think It Is. And That's Your Problem.
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Everyone bangs on about productivity like it's some mystical force that'll transform your business overnight. Mate, I've been running companies and coaching executives for nearly two decades now, and let me tell you something that'll probably ruffle a few feathers: most of what passes for "productivity advice" these days is absolute garbage.
Here's my first controversial opinion: being busy is not the same as being productive. In fact, I'd argue that 73% of supposedly "productive" people are just really organised procrastinators. They've got their colour-coded calendars, their fancy apps, their standing desks that cost more than my first car - but they're still not moving the needle where it counts.
Last month, I was working with a CEO in Brisbane who showed me his productivity system. Beautiful thing, really - automated everything, tracked every minute, had dashboards that would make NASA jealous. Problem was, his company's revenue had been flat for eighteen months. Turns out he was being incredibly productive at all the wrong things.
The Productivity Paradox Nobody Talks About
The real power of productivity isn't about doing more things. It's about doing fewer things but doing them with ruthless focus on what actually matters.
I learned this the hard way back in 2016 when I was juggling three consulting contracts simultaneously. Had myself convinced I was a productivity machine - answering emails at 5am, taking calls during lunch, working weekends. Felt incredibly busy and important. Nearly burnt out completely and lost two of those contracts because I was spread thinner than Vegemite on toast.
That's when it hit me: true productivity is about strategic laziness. Sounds mental, right? But stick with me here.
Why Your Current Productivity System Is Failing You
Most productivity frameworks treat all tasks as equal. They don't. Some activities in your business generate $10 of value per hour. Others generate $1000. Yet we often spend equal mental energy on both.
Take time management training - when done properly, it's not about managing time at all. It's about managing energy and attention. Time is fixed - we all get 24 hours. But energy? That's variable and controllable.
I've watched too many business leaders fall into what I call the "productivity theatre" trap. They look productive, sound productive, even feel productive. But their bottom line tells a different story. The harsh truth is that feeling busy often masks the uncomfortable reality that we're avoiding the hard, important work.
The Australian Institute of Management published some research last year (though I think their sample size was a bit dodgy) showing that executives spend an average of 41% of their time on activities that could be delegated or eliminated entirely. That's nearly half your working life devoted to busy work.
The Three Types of Productivity That Actually Matter
After years of observing what separates high performers from the perpetually overwhelmed, I've identified three distinct types of productivity:
Reactive Productivity is what most people think productivity is - responding quickly to emails, clearing your task list, staying on top of urgent requests. It feels good, gives you that dopamine hit, but it's ultimately just treading water.
Strategic Productivity is different. This is where you're working on activities that compound over time. Building systems, developing people, creating intellectual property. The stuff that keeps paying dividends long after you've done the work.
Creative Productivity is the rarest and most valuable. This is pure problem-solving and innovation time. No interruptions, no meetings, just deep thinking about the challenges that matter most to your business.
Here's the kicker - most businesses run almost entirely on reactive productivity. It's like trying to build wealth by only paying bills. You're maintaining status quo at best.
What Companies Like Atlassian Get Right
I've always admired how Atlassian approaches this challenge. They famously give their developers 20% free time to work on passion projects. Sounds counterproductive, right? Less time on assigned tasks surely means less output?
Wrong. That "unproductive" time has generated some of their most valuable features and innovations. They understand that true productivity sometimes looks like doing nothing at all.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Focus
Everyone preaches focus, but nobody wants to talk about what focus actually costs. When you focus intensely on one thing, you're actively choosing to ignore everything else. That's terrifying for most business leaders.
I remember working with a manufacturing company in Adelaide where the owner was convinced he needed to be involved in every decision. "I can't focus on strategy," he'd say, "because operations will fall apart without me." Classic trap.
We implemented what I call "productive neglect" - deliberately choosing not to respond to certain types of requests for specific time blocks. His operations manager initially panicked. Within a month, though, that manager had stepped up and was handling issues that previously required the owner's attention.
The Technology Trap
Here's controversial opinion number two: most productivity apps make you less productive, not more. They create an illusion of control while actually adding complexity to your life.
I've got clients using project management software that requires 30 minutes of daily maintenance just to keep updated. They're literally spending half an hour every day to save themselves time. The mathematics doesn't work.
The best productivity system I've ever seen was run by a property developer I worked with in Perth. Her entire system consisted of three things: a legal pad, a calendar, and a timer. That's it. No apps, no automations, no fancy integrations. She built a multi-million dollar portfolio using nothing but disciplined thinking and ruthless prioritisation.
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is throw out your productivity system entirely.
Why Burnout Is a Productivity Issue
Nobody talks about this, but burnout isn't usually caused by working too hard. It's caused by working hard on things that don't matter. When your effort doesn't align with meaningful outcomes, your brain starts to rebel.
I've seen it happen countless times - driven professionals who can work 12-hour days on projects they care about, but can't manage 4 hours on busy work without feeling completely drained.
The solution isn't better self-care (though that helps). The solution is better alignment between your efforts and your actual goals.
What Gets Measured Gets Mismanaged
Another uncomfortable truth: most productivity metrics are worse than useless. Emails sent, meetings attended, hours logged - these numbers tell you nothing about actual value creation.
I had a client who was obsessed with response time metrics. His team was measured on how quickly they replied to customer inquiries. Response times improved dramatically. Customer satisfaction plummeted. Turns out that rushing to respond meant giving incomplete or incorrect information.
Better to measure outcomes, not activities. Revenue per hour worked. Problems solved permanently. Quality of decisions made. These metrics actually correlate with business success.
The Power of Strategic Procrastination
This might sound contradictory, but sometimes the most productive thing you can do is procrastinate. Not the mindless, anxiety-inducing type where you scroll social media instead of working. Strategic procrastination - deliberately delaying action until you have better information or clearer thinking.
I've saved clients hundreds of thousands of dollars by encouraging them to sleep on major decisions. That urgent acquisition that absolutely had to happen immediately? Usually looks different after 48 hours of reflection.
Most business problems aren't actually urgent, despite what everyone claims. Taking time to think through solutions properly often prevents much bigger problems down the track.
Building Your Personal Productivity Philosophy
Here's what nobody tells you about productivity: you need to develop your own philosophy about what matters. Generic advice doesn't work because everyone's situation is different.
Some questions worth asking yourself: What activities in your business create disproportionate value? What tasks drain your energy without contributing meaningful results? What would happen if you stopped doing your least favorite responsibility entirely?
I guarantee you'll discover that much of what you consider essential work is actually optional busy work in disguise.
The power of productivity isn't in doing everything efficiently. It's in choosing the right things to do in the first place, then doing them with complete attention and care. Everything else is just expensive noise.
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