Burst! New Definitions of ‘Productivity’ in the Age of Enterprise 2.0
by Joe McKendrick
More grist on the E2.0 Productivity Paradox (in which those achieving higher rates of productivity through technology may appear to be less productive to management).
Harvard’s Andrew McAfee opened up this can of worms a couple of weeks back when he speculated that one of the main issues with E2.0 adoption is that employees using the tools and platforms may appear to be dilly-dallying around the Web in the eyes of unenlightened managers (there are a few of them left out there, I think).
In response, Anne Zelenka provides this excellent comparison of what it means to be engaged in the “burst” economy versus merely keeping “busy,” old-economy style. Of course, unenlightened managers out there will simply not see the bursty-ness of this new style of working.
Busy: “Show your face during all standard working hours…. The busy economy relies on face time as a proxy measure of real work.”
Burst: “If you produce what you need to, we don’t care when you do it or how long it takes…. The burst economy relies on workstreaming — the flow of output that a worker creates, documented online as automatically as possible.”
Busy: “Immediate response to email required…. The busy expect immediate response to email. They live in their email and they expect you to also.”
Burst: “Use better ways to communicate when available including blogs, wikis, IM, chat rooms, SMS, and RSS…. Bursters realize they don’t need to live in their email or respond immediately because the information will find them in other ways.”
Busy: “Manage the hierarchy inside your company…. The busy prioritize good relations with their boss and their boss’ boss and their boss’ boss’ boss. The busy spend time managing down also, by making sure their subordinates are not slacking off on showing their faces and immediately responding to email requests.”
Burst: “Connect laterally outside your department and company…. Bursters see that opportunities to take 2,000 steps forward in one hyperleap are more likely to happen through connections with people outside the company.’
Busy: “Always available during working hours.”
Burst: Declarative availability…. Bursters don’t hesitate to declare what they’re doing whether it’s personal or professional, because this makes it easier for colleagues to connect, collaborate, and coordinate with them — it makes teams more productive and binds them together on a human level.”
Busy: “Web surfing is bad.”
Burst: “Web surfing fertilizes and seeds the soil of the mind.”
Busy: “Long-term planning rules.”
Burst: “Try agile experimentation and fast failure instead.”
