Future of Work Glossary

TABLE OF CONTENT

Productivity

Category
People analytics & strategy
Also seen as:
Efficiency, output, performance

What is productivity?

Productivity is the ability to deliver meaningful output with the resources available—time, people, and tools. It’s not about being busy; it’s about achieving results efficiently.

High productivity means doing the right work, not just more work.

The misconception of productivity

Many teams confuse activity with productivity. More meetings, more tasks, more hours—but not necessarily better outcomes.

Real productivity comes from focus, prioritisation, and removing distractions.

Drivers of team productivity

Clear priorities and goals.
Efficient processes and tools.
Minimal unnecessary meetings and interruptions.
Autonomy and accountability.

Why productivity matters at scale

As your company grows, inefficiencies multiply. Small productivity issues at team level become major bottlenecks at company level.

Improving productivity means achieving more without increasing costs proportionally.

Example

A team reduces recurring meetings and replaces them with async updates. Result: more focus time, faster execution, and better output quality.