the activity illusion

The Activity Illusion

Why doing more is suddenly

getting us less

“It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change”.

Is this you?Always on the go -

24/7

Multitasker extraordinaire

Always connected

Always available

Always on the go - 24/7

Multitasker extraordinaire

Always connected

Always available

Is this you?

What about your organisation?

We work with organisations to help them understand the cognitive effects of too much information, reduce their levels of

activity and increase their organisational effectiveness.

We are two business psychologists who believe that the information age is posing unique challenges to the way we work.

The amount of information we process daily has doubled

in the past 20 years

Here’s a thought:

We think this is driving an obsession with activity which is harming our

effectiveness at work in 4 ways.

% of an average company’s payroll is diminished by ineffective use of email

University of Toronto, 2004

12%

1: Productivity

University of Toronto, 2004

1: Productivity

...we’re not talking about personal email or internet use here.

This is ineffective use of work email.

Add the impact of interruptions and the figure

is closer to 20%.

Fact:It takes us 64 seconds to refocus after an interruption.

Oh and 41% of the time, we never return.

2: Cognitive Performance

20th C

Pro

duct

ivity

The huge advances in 20th century productivity all started with this chap,

2: Cognitive Performance

20th C

Pro

duct

ivity

Frederick Taylor

Taylor invented scientific management, which was all about doing more activity more efficiently and more quickly...

This was excellent for tasks such as carrying pig-iron

BUT...Big but

This did not apply to tasks of cognitive complexity...

“The man who is physically able to handle pig iron and is sufficiently stupid to choose this for

his occupation is rarely able to comprehend the science of handling

pig iron.”

And few of us are asked to lug pig iron about the office any more.

knowledge management

business

intelligence

Data analysis

...in other words, tasks of cognitive complexity.

Increasingly our jobs involve:

Creative problem solving

Shifting pig-iron = cognitive complexity

Knowledge work = cognitive complexity

Shifting pig-iron = cognitive complexity

More is ALWAYS better

Knowledge work = cognitive complexity

...More is OFTEN worse!

“Participants who completed tasks in parallel took 30% longer and made twice as many errors as those who completed the same tasks in sequence.”

(McKinsey Quarterly, Jan 2011)

Taylorism doesn’t work for the 21st century world of information overload.

Meet Phineas Gage...3: Leadership

Meet Phineas Gage...

... Phineas was a 19th century US railroad worker who, after an explosion, ended up with a 4ft metal rod lodged through his skull.

Incredibly, Gage survived.

But alas his prefrontal cortex was damaged and he was never the same again....

“He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest

profanity... Capricious and vacillating, devising many plans of future operation, which are no

sooner arranged than they are abandoned...”

Dr Harlow, Gage’s Physician.

Just like today’s CEO.

“He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest

profanity... Capricious and vacillating, devising many plans of future operation, which are no

sooner arranged than they are abandoned...”

What - information overload damages our brains?

In a way, yes! The human mind finds new information difficult to ignore. For example, new e-mails tend to stimulate our dopamine (reward) systems so we

can become quite obsessive about checking them. But....

What - information overload damages our brains?

Russell Poldrack, Neuroscientist, University of Texas

“Too much dopamine or noradrenaline and our

prefrontal cortex function goes south, leaving us

disorganised, forgetful and unable to focus.”

In a way, yes! The human mind finds new information difficult to ignore. For example, new e-mails tend to stimulate our dopamine (reward) systems so we

can become quite obsessive about checking them. But....

One idea:People with smartphones spend 250% longer checking for messages outside working hours than those without smartphones*

*I.Price MSc Research Project, “Email is Ruining My Life” 2010

Are we simply “too busy” to lead?Leaders tell us they don’t get the chance to lead any more. Why?

Being too busy means we have no time for creative thinking...

Or strategic thinking...

Or strategic thinking...

(Not even in the car...).

So the art of leadership...

So the art of leadership...

....is often reduced to platitudes

But carrots and sticks only improve performance for mechanical tasks....

Motivation is reduced to carrots and sticks.

But carrots and sticks only improve performance for mechanical tasks....

...Where even

rudimentary cognitive skill is requiredlarger rewards lead to

poorer performance.

Motivation is reduced to carrots and sticks.

“.. the inability to focus that is driven by the richness of our environment... bears resemblance to the inattention that marks ADHD.”

Dr Russell Poldrack, Neuroscientist, University of Texas

4. Being too busy damages mental health

“.. People spend 47% of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they're doing.

This mind-wandering typically makes them unhappy.”

Professor Dan Gilbert, Psychologist, Harvard University

4. Being too busy damages mental health

So, what can we do?

Isn’t this just the way things are?

Not necessarily.

Not necessarily.

After all, Taylorism was about adapting the way we work to the changing environment of the 20th century.

Not necessarily.

We believe we need to adapt again to change the way we work in the 21st century.

After all, Taylorism was about adapting the way we work to the changing environment of the 20th century.

Add the impact of interruptions and the figure is closer to 20%*

It takes us 64 seconds to return to what we were doing after an interruption...

...41% of the time, we never return.

By learning skills to help the mind cope with too much information, we can dramatically boost productivity in real terms...

...and improve mental health and wellbeing.

Allow us to introduce our Work Effectiveness Programme and some of its outcomes:

• a reduction in frenetic but ineffective activity

• mastery of communications technology e.g. email

• heightened ability to focus for optimal effectiveness

• improved work-life balance and resilience

• heightened motivation and commitment

We use the latest proven techniques to drive behavioural change...

xx... so that learning actually gets implemented.

Who benefits from our Effectiveness Programme?

• Leadership teams

• Sales teams

• Customer service teams

• Virtual teams

• Project teams

About Us...

ian.price@grimsdykeconsulting.comTel: 07919 600846

rob@thecareerpsychologist.comTel: 07904 956965

Ian Price is an organisational behaviour specialist and author of The Activity Illusion. Formerly a corporate man, Ian has switched careers and recently completed his MSc in Occupational Psychology at Birkbeck College.

Rob Archer is an organisational psychologist specialising in engagement,

resilience and behavioural change. Formerly a management consultant, Rob

retrained as an Occupational Psychologist at the University of London.