[1]Homepage

Accessibility links

    * [2]Skip to content
    * [3]Accessibility Help

  [4]BBC Account
  [5]Notifications
    * [6]Home
    * [7]News
    * [8]Sport
    * [9]Weather
    * [10]iPlayer
    * [11]Sounds
    * [12]CBBC
    * [13]CBeebies
    * [14]Food
    * [15]Bitesize
    * [16]Arts
    * [17]Taster
    * [18]Local
    * [19]Three
    * [20]Menu

  [21]Search
  Search the BBC ____________________ (BUTTON) Search the BBC

  (BUTTON)

  Menu
  Loading
  [22]Technology
  Why relying on productivity tools can backfire
  [23]Share using Email
  Share on Twitter
  Share on Facebook[24]Share on Linkedin
  (BUTTON) Bookmark this article
  (Image credit: Alamy)
  File image of a man looking at his phone in front of his laptop
  By Katie Bishop10th February 2021
  The explosion in productivity tech means we can track everything from
  our steps to our to-do list. But should we?
  E

  Every day, Alex Donohue wakes up and checks how well he slept using the
  smartwatch that his wife brought him as an anniversary present. On work
  calls, he paces around the car park of his office to make sure that he
  fits in 10,000 steps a day. He describes tracking his screen time as a
  “ritual”.

  Donohue, a 31-year-old founder of a London-based PR agency, is a
  self-professed productivity addict. He’s one of a growing number of
  people who see optimising their time using technology as an
  increasingly important part of their lives.

  And there’s certainly no shortage of tools to help him out. While we
  once might have scribbled our to-do list down on a Post-it or used
  email flags to prioritise tasks, the last few years have ushered in a
  boom in apps promising to help us organise our time better and maximise
  our output. In a world in which everything seems trackable, and
  workplace ideas about time-management have comprehensively crossed over
  into our personal lives, these tools can seem irresistible.

  Yet the technologies we use to optimise our days can also start to
  control them. Since the pandemic hit and time has taken on a new
  meaning, it may be time to rethink our buy-in, and question whether
  logging, tracking and uploading tasks into various apps is really the
  path to success. Despite the raft of productivity products to choose
  from, perhaps the old methods of assessing what you’d accomplished in a
  day weren’t really so inadequate after all.

  Why productivity boomed

  The desire to keep on top of your task list is hardly a new phenomenon.
  Leonardo da Vinci was [25]writing to-do lists as far back as 1490,
  while Benjamin Franklin famously created [26]a 13-week plan for
  self-improvement in the early 1700s. A few decades later, publishers
  were printing the first examples of [27]daily planners, as people in
  industrialising nations grew interested in how to make more money.
  Alex Donohue is one of many using the latest tools to try and become
  more productive (Credit: Alex Donohue)

  Alex Donohue is one of many using the latest tools to try and become
  more productive (Credit: Alex Donohue)

  But our [28]cultural obsession with personal productivity has been a
  relatively recent phenomenon as society digitalised and time-saving
  technology became a modern fixation. In the 1990s and early 2000s,
  technology that we now take for granted was promoted as a time-saving
  tool – shared calendars could eliminate complicated discussions to line
  up meetings, while search engines could save us hours digging up
  information.

  With the opportunity to produce more with potentially less work, it’s
  no wonder so many embraced a lifestyle that beckons more output through
  optimisation.

  Plus, there’s a template for why maximum productivity is so desirable:
  success. High-profile individuals – particularly those working for the
  tech companies that designed some of these tools – began to attract
  attention for their personal productivity habits. Who could forget
  Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey’s [29]16-hour work days (including
  0500 hydrotherapy sessions), or Google employee Marissa Mayer’s
  [30]130-hour work weeks? With the routines of high-achieving
  individuals increasingly fetishised, the digital productivity industry
  boomed, making its way into our offices, our leisure time and our
  homes.

  Now, it’s estimated that global sales of wearable devices that track
  daily activity and allow users to get notifications on the go will
  reach [31]$1bn (£730m) by 2022. Companies continue to innovate; apps
  such as Forest, which encourages users to plant a virtual ‘tree’ that
  only thrives when the user is doing a focused task, have become
  increasingly commonplace.

  Claire Wu, a neuroscientist, says that part of the attraction for users
  is the way many of these apps ‘reward’ users. “When you tick off an
  item on your to-do list, or see your step count or sleep hours go up in
  an app, it creates a feedback loop where you experience an immediate
  reward,” she says. “Without these tools, goals can also seem quite
  faraway and intangible. Productivity and optimisation tools help people
  to break down goals, and incorporate the same addictive and
  reward-based elements that you might find in a mobile game or social
  media app.”
  Neuroscientist Claire Wu says some productivity tools use 'rewards' to
  keep us engaged (Credit: Claire Wu)

  Neuroscientist Claire Wu says some productivity tools use 'rewards' to
  keep us engaged (Credit: Claire Wu)

  While ticking off an item on an old-fashioned to-do list might give us
  some level of satisfaction, technology games our desire to do more and
  rewards us in more overt ways. “A common theme in many apps is a
  representation of progress, such as badges or hitting a certain
  number,” explains Wu. “But these can start to become more important
  than the outcome itself – for example, a person might do a workout but
  don’t get the expected badge or points, and feel like the whole effort
  was a waste of time. But really, the workout is much more important
  than some arbitrary points.”

  Wu, who founded an app that helps people achieve long-term health
  optimisation goals, believes that some productivity tools can place
  pressure on users. She thinks that people may use metrics, and by
  extension their personal productivity, as a measure of how “good or bad
  they are as a person”.

  Working harder, not smarter?

  There’s also the question of whether we can really assess how much
  these apps are contributing to our output.

  “Our lives and work are increasingly digital,” says Almuth McDowall,
  professor of organisational psychology at Birkbeck, University of
  London. “But it’s a complex world, and there is an information
  overload. Good apps, well used, can help us to negotiate this. But
  there is still a question of whether we’re really interested in
  becoming more productive, or simply ‘doing more to seem effective’.

Why are we not getting better at managing the quality of our output? - Almuth
McDowall

  Data certainly suggests that employees are struggling with a software
  overload. [32]Research conducted in 2018 showed that the average
  operational support worker [33]switched among 35 different applications
  more than 1,100 times during their working day. Yet despite the deluge
  of apps and tools, productivity is in decline in most highly
  industrialised countries, while [34]burnout is on the rise.

  “Evidence shows that working hours and the time that we spend in online
  meetings is increasing, so it may be that we are working harder, not
  smarter,” suggests McDowall. “Why are we not getting better at managing
  the quality of our output?”

  A step back, to think

  Into this mix, of course, has come Covid-19, disrupting our lives,
  working patterns and habits – and for some, it’s been an opportunity to
  recalibrate how they assess performance.

  “I have always worked in a digital environment where utilising the
  latest tools has been par for the course,” says Rob Weatherhead, a
  39-year-old advertising and technology consultant based in Bolton, UK.
  “Trello, Jira, smart watches, fitness trackers, food trackers. You name
  it, I’ve tried it.”
  Rob Weatherhead says since lockdown he's been using new measures to
  assess his output - his own instincts (Credit: Rob Weatherhead)

  Rob Weatherhead says since lockdown he's been using new measures to
  assess his output - his own instincts (Credit: Rob Weatherhead)

  Yet in the last year, since he’s been responsible for his own remote
  work efficiency, Weatherhead has found himself discarding most of these
  technologies and “reverting back to a good old-fashioned task list”,
  using a pen and paper. “I realised that some of the tools were actually
  unproductive. I was breaking tasks down into minutiae just so that
  there were more things to move into the ‘done’ column. I’ve sold my
  Apple watch and ditched all of my life trackers. I know whether I’ve
  had an efficient or effective day, and I don’t need technology to tell
  me.”

  Sandra Bond Chapman, a cognitive neuroscientist at the [35]Center for
  BrainHealth at the University of Texas, Dallas, believes that the
  fundamental shifts caused by the pandemic could permanently change the
  way people like Weatherhead view productivity.

  “Before the pandemic people were 24/7 non-stop on the go,” she says.
  “People are now stepping back and thinking about the qualitative
  aspects of being productive over the quantitative... Instead of how
  many things we have done, we now have an opportunity to shift towards
  the measures that matter most – was I more innovative? Was I more
  purpose-driven? Was I more socially-driven?”

  Back to discipline?

  Certainly for Weatherhead, a year away from the office has given him
  the chance to tune back into his instincts, understanding when
  technology is really helping and where it’s costing more time than it’s
  saving.

  Productivity app enthusiast Donohue, meanwhile, still tracks everything
  from his calorie intake to his workload – but he says it is important
  to be realistic about what technology offers. While it can help
  motivate us to stay organised and on track, he’s aware that
  productivity also relies on our innate drive and built-in toolkit. Many
  apps, he reflects, propose what appear to be easy solutions to life
  problems; they appear helpful initially but sometimes can compound the
  problem.

  “It's easier said than done but perhaps some of the solutions are
  linked to discipline, efficiency and ability to concentrate – which can
  be solved without technology,” he says.

  For now, he’s started to block out time to work on tasks based on
  deadlines that he’s set for himself rather than relying only on tools
  to control his day. Whilst apps and technology can take us so far, it
  seems that our own judgement could remain one of our most valuable
  productivity tools.
  [36]Share using Email
  Share on Twitter
  Share on Facebook[37]Share on Linkedin
  (BUTTON) Bookmark this article
  (BUTTON) Share

Similar Articles

  [38]Remote Control
  1[39]A new approach to productivity?
  [40]worklife
  2[41]The online ‘productivity gyms’
  Around the BBC

Explore the BBC

    * [42]Home
    * [43]News
    * [44]Sport
    * [45]Weather
    * [46]iPlayer
    * [47]Sounds
    * [48]CBBC
    * [49]CBeebies
    * [50]Food
    * [51]Bitesize
    * [52]Arts
    * [53]Taster
    * [54]Local
    * [55]Three

    * [56]Terms of Use
    * [57]About the BBC
    * [58]Privacy Policy
    * [59]Cookies
    * [60]Accessibility Help
    * [61]Parental Guidance
    * [62]Contact the BBC
    * [63]Get Personalised Newsletters

  Copyright © 2021 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of
  external sites. [64]Read about our approach to external linking.

  [p?c1=2&c2=17986528&cs_ucfr=0&cv=2.0&cj=1]

References

  Visible links
  1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/
  2. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire#orb-modules
  3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/
  4. https://account.bbc.com/account
  5. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire
  6. https://www.bbc.co.uk/
  7. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news
  8. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport
  9. https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather
 10. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
 11. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds
 12. https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc
 13. https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies
 14. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food
 15. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
 16. https://www.bbc.co.uk/arts
 17. https://www.bbc.co.uk/taster
 18. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews
 19. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree
 20. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire#orb-footer
 21. https://search.bbc.co.uk/search
 22. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/tags/technology
 23. mailto:?subject=Shared from BBC:Why relying on productivity tools can backfire&body=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire?ocid=ww.social.link.email
 24. https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire?ocid=ww.social.link.linkedin&title=Why relying on productivity tools can backfire
 25. https://www.zmescience.com/other/feature-post/leonardo-da-vinci-todo-list/
 26. https://www.fastcompany.com/3021379/the-amazing-history-of-the-to-do-list-and-how-to-make-one-that-actually-worksw-to-be-a-better-person-and-get-shit-done-738cbcce3b6a
 27. https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/06/01/the-daily-planner-american-history/WncDRG5hq7B9m0w3cE5jkM/story.html
 28. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201230-how-the-pandemic-could-redefine-our-productivity-obsession
 29. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2015/10/12/jack-dorsey-productivity-secret/?sh=64fc87f136ad
 30. https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-marissa-mayer-interview-issue/
 31. https://www.statista.com/statistics/487291/global-connected-wearable-devices/#:~:text=The number of connected wearable,than one billion by 2022.
 32. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/employees-switch-apps-more-than-1100-times-a-day-decreasing-productivity/
 33. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/employees-switch-apps-more-than-1100-times-a-day-decreasing-productivity/
 34. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201021-does-burnout-recovery-always-require-radical-change
 35. https://brainhealth.utdallas.edu/programs/the-brainhealth-project/
 36. mailto:?subject=Shared from BBC:Why relying on productivity tools can backfire&body=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire?ocid=ww.social.link.email
 37. https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire?ocid=ww.social.link.linkedin&title=Why relying on productivity tools can backfire
 38. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/remote-control
 39. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201230-how-the-pandemic-could-redefine-our-productivity-obsession
 40. https://www.bbc.com/worklife
 41. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200812-the-online-work-gyms-that-help-spur-productivity
 42. https://www.bbc.co.uk/
 43. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news
 44. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport
 45. https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather
 46. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
 47. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds
 48. https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc
 49. https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies
 50. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food
 51. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
 52. https://www.bbc.co.uk/arts
 53. https://www.bbc.co.uk/taster
 54. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews
 55. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree
 56. https://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/terms/
 57. https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc
 58. https://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/privacy/
 59. https://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/cookies/
 60. https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/
 61. https://www.bbc.co.uk/guidance
 62. https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact
 63. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcnewsletter
 64. https://www.bbc.co.uk/help/web/links/

  Hidden links:
 66. https://www.bbc.com/worklife
 67. https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Why%20relying%20on%20productivity%20tools%20can%20backfire&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fworklife%2Farticle%2F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire%3Focid%3Dww.social.link.twitter&via=BBC_Worklife
 68. https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fworklife%2Farticle%2F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire%3Focid%3Dww.social.link.facebook&t=Why%20relying%20on%20productivity%20tools%20can%20backfire
 69. https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Why%20relying%20on%20productivity%20tools%20can%20backfire&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fworklife%2Farticle%2F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire%3Focid%3Dww.social.link.twitter&via=BBC_Worklife
 70. https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fworklife%2Farticle%2F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire%3Focid%3Dww.social.link.facebook&t=Why%20relying%20on%20productivity%20tools%20can%20backfire

You are viewing proxied material from 1436.ninja. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.