5 things that are typically confused for productivity.

Confusing responsiveness for productivity

…leading to excessive multi-tasking and lack of focus.

Respond to every request and multi-task vs focusing on one request at a time

Confusing lack of interruptions for productivity

…leading to false progress due to lack of necessary feedback.

Optimising for no interruptions vs optimising for early feedback

Confusing individual preferences/satisfaction with productivity

… leading to excessive handshaking across boundaries…

No shared protocol means messy collaboration

… AND lower performance habits.

Confusing utilization with productivity

…leading to too much WIP, longer lead times, and lower throughput.

Optimising for utilization vs limiting WIP and addressing bottlenecks

Confusing raw throughput with productivity

… leading to “feature factories”.

See also

• 3 Fs for individual productivity: Focus, Feedback, Friction | by Jason Yip | Medium
• 2 Fs for team productivity: Flow and Frequent Integration | by Jason Yip | Medium
• RAP for organisational productivity: relearning, allocation, parallel bets | by Jason Yip | Medium