2. The goal of the exercise is to identify a working definition of “productivity” that:
1. Resonates with our core audience
2. Is culturally relevant
3. Takes into consideration historical truths about the word itself
4. Produces strategic insights for our communications strategy
Success will be judged against these criteria, and our exploration will be guided by
it
Goal
3. Contents
Part 1 – Historical Imperatives
We’ll examine traditional definitions and historical tensions about productivity.
Part 2 – The Crisis In Productivity
We’ll examine how traditional definitions and a focus on short-term productivity gains have brought us into crisis.
Part 3 – The Intangible Age
We’ll examine how the age of information and the digital revolution are changing the definitions of what it is to be productive.
Part 4 – Innovations in Productivity
We’ll examine how new tools and thinkers are changing the way we think about productivity.
Part 5 – Generating Benefit Statements
We’ll create benefit statements from the consumer perspective on the value of productivity.
Part 6 – Mapping Our Statements
We’ll create four-quadrant axis and map our statements in relation to one another.
Part 7 – Mapping Our Competition
As part of a thought exercise, we’ll look at the smartphone market, map our competition and generate a strategic recommendation.
4. Our thinking will be in two parts
Part 1 – Historical Imperatives
We’ll examine traditional definitions and historical tensions about productivity.
Part 2 – The Crisis In Productivity
We’ll examine how traditional definitions and a focus on short term productivity gains have brought us into crisis.
Part 3 – The Intangible Age
We’ll examine how the age of information and the digital revolution are changing the definitions of what it is to be productive.
Part 4 – Innovations in Productivity
We’ll examine how new tools and thinkers are changing the way we think about productivity.
Part 5 – Generating Benefit Statements
We’ll create benefit statements from the consumer perspective on the value of productivity.
Part 6 – Mapping Our Statements
We’ll create and four quadrant axis and map our statements in relation to one another.
Part 7 – Mapping Our Competition
As part of a thought exercise we’ll look at the smartphone market, map our competition and generation a strategic
5. Productivity:
The rate at which goods or services are produced in relation
to units of labor.
Product:
An article or substance that is manufactured or refined for
sale.
Labor:
Physical or mental exertion toward a specific task.
Increased productivity:
Extracting maximum value from less units of labor (i.e., less
man hours or less workers).
Traditional Definitions
7. The Pyramids didn’t build themselves
The history of productivity - that is to
say, extracting maximum value from less
units of labor - begins with the history of
slavery.
In a world with no machines, humans had
to fill the role with muscle, blood and
sweat. Complex cultural ideologies were
developed so that humans could subjugate
other humans in the service of societal
goals and projects.
To examine productivity is to face an ugly
truth: that actions that do not value
human well-being have nonetheless
driven short-term productivity gains
throughout history.
But how?
8. This system has continued for over 6,000 years…
“We must find new lands from which we can easily obtain raw materials and at the same time
exploit the cheap slave labor that is available from the natives of the colonies. The colonies would
also provide a dumping ground for the surplus goods produced in our factories.”
Cecil John Rhodes, Founder of De Beers Diamond Company
(July 1853 – 26 March 1902)
Thousands of years have brought humankind three
deadly tools to boost productivity in the short term.
War: Maximizes an economy toward the efficient
production of materials.
Colonialism: The control of a nation over a dependent
country or people for the exploitation of natural
resources.
Slavery
Forced labor or wage slavery (such as child labor).
All are extraordinarily effective ways of extracting
maximum
value from units of labor for a short period of time.
A Child Laborer, New York City 1863
Historical tensions with productivity
9. The Cotton Gin helped eliminate an economic
need for slavery in the Southern USA
Technological Shift
However, the Industrial Age created a new paradigm
whereby forcing higher levels of productivity from machines
became cheaper and more effective than subjugating other
human beings to do manual labor.
The definition of productivity during this time underwent its
first transition from being mainly concerned with human
power to being mainly about industrial machine power.
New Labor Laws
Of course, humans were still needed to operate
machines, so a new tension arose in regard to productivity.
how to maximize value from both humans and machines
working together.
But because machines were expensive to operate, costly to
fix and potentially hazardous, new labor laws were put into
place to maximize productivity by calculating some measure
of human health and well-being into day-to-day operations.
Technological Disruption
Welsh Factory Workers
10. This system has continued for over 6,000 years…Modern Tensions With Productivity
Maximizing The Tangible
Historically speaking, we’ve come to an extremely advanced
place of understanding on how we maximize human productivity
from a physical standpoint. We know precisely how many hours
humans need to sleep, eat and exercise to remain healthy. We
have a deeper understanding of training, information retention
and education. We have medicines to keep us healthy when
other precautions fail, and in the industrialized West we enjoy a
variety of employee safeguards and benefits which help plan for
retirement and accidents on the job.
Ignoring The True Costs
But productivity remains extremely contentious because the way
we measure it does not take into account emotional well-being
or, more importantly, the externalized and intangible costs of
production and labor which, over time, compound into large
problems for individuals and society as a whole.
Six thousand years of trial and error have revealed a fundamental
truth: what benefits the short term often is detrimental in the long
term.
11. 2. CRISIS IN PRODUCTIVITY
“Cutting the deficit by gutting our investments in innovation and education is like
lightening an overloaded airplane by removing its engine. It may make you feel
like you’re flying high at first, but it won’t take long before you feel the impact.”
U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, 2010
12. Traditional measurements of productivity
often ignores long-term costs
Robert is the firm’s top producer. He travels 80% of his time and finds it nearly
impossible to eat a low-sodium diet on the road. After 20 years of high
productivity, he has a heart attack that permanently disables him at the age of 50.
Maria is one of fastest workers on the assembly line but finds her job tedious and
works so many hours that her marriage collapsed. Over time she slips into a deep
depression and, despite being productive at work, takes her own life. She leaves
behind thousands in debts and a teenage daughter to her estranged husband.
Rodger is an extraordinarily productive athlete who constantly strives to improve. One
day a minor knee injury occurs, and Rodger ignores it in the spirit of being productive
for his team. On the last game of the season, a light tackle collapses his weak
knee, and he never plays again.
These real-life stories demonstrate that productivity, as judged by short-
term increases in speed or volume, can have serious consequences for
an individual.
But what about society as a whole?
13. • 97% of clothing is now produced outside USA
• Industrial manufacturing is set to decline 9% by
2018
• Electronics manufacturing is set to decline 19% by
2018
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• 11% of U.S. Homes are now vacant
• Home sales are down 80% since 2005
• 2.87 Million houses repossessed
Sources: Business Insider, Bloomburg
• 19 consecutive years of glacier retreat
• 100 million people will be displaced by 2050
• Extinction of a million species by 2050
Sources: National Geographic,
World Glacier Monitoring Center
United Nations’ Panel on Climate Change
Individual acts to increase short-term productivity
compound to create collective problems.
Demand
for short term
productivity gains
causes
abundance…
Consequences
surface for the long term…
Problems
result in a collective crisis…
Easy loans and House FlippingCheap wood products and fossil fuels Cheap, discounted garments
Housing bubble crash Global warming Manufacturing leaves USA
14. Blow-back noun /ˈblōˈbak/
The unintended adverse results of an action or situation.
Productivity that doesn’t factor in
sustainability isn’t truly productive
Societal Personal
15. 3. THE INTANGIBLE AGE
“The way you increase programmer productivity is not by increasing the lines of code per programmer per day. That
doesn’t work. The way you get programmer productivity is by eliminating lines of code you have to write. The line of
code that’s the fastest to write, that never breaks, that doesn’t need maintenance, is the line you never had to write.”
Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple speaking in 1997
16. Ancient History Industrial Age Modern Age Information Age
• Human labor-centric
• Creation of the tangible
• Requires top-down leadership
• Requires humans to act as machines
• Measures only tangible costs
• Machine labor-centric
• Creation of the intangible
• Requires diverse leadership
• Requires humans to create machines
• Measures total costs
Old Model of Productivity New Model of Productivity
We’re in a major shift in the history of productivity
18. Brands selling services and intangible goods are booming
2001 2005 2011
TOP 10 MOST VALUABLE BRANDS
19. Selling the intangible
TANGIBLE WIDGETS DIGITAL WIDGETS
VS.
How has this new dynamic changed our ways of thinking and measuring productivity?
• Require mechanical machines to create, package and
ship
• Require physical materials to be utilized in creation
• Produce by-products
• Require software and computing power
• Require very small amounts of physical materials to be utilized in their creation
• Can be eliminated by deleting hard drives
20. Measuring intangible costs to increase productivity
In the United States, 35 million are food insecure
The easy calculation to make is that it costs the U.S.A. $96 billion a year in social
programs, taxes and subsidized medical care due to food insecurity alone.
Any deep examination of productivity - that is, the rate at which products and services are
created per unit of labor, must take into account that modern tools and techniques for
measuring “indirect” costs have grown increasingly sophisticated. Consider the cost of food
insecurity.
Source: Harvard School of Public Health (2007) “The Cost of Hunger in America”
But that number jumps to $500 billion when you factor in the lost productivity of
citizens who are not living, consuming and working.
24. Extraordinary new tools altering the culture
Productivity in socializing
Social media has eliminated the pain points
and barriers of keeping in touch with friends
by bringing everyone to one place in a real-
time, transparent, always-on forum.
Productivity in collaboration
Innovations like video conferencing and
Google Docs have given us the tools to
replicate face-to-face exercises in realtime.
Productivity in the cloud
Now access to your content is hardware
agnostic, opening up a world of flexibility
and freedom.
Productivity in 4G
Now we can stream content we never before
could and download important files faster
than ever, all through citywide networks that
make the “hot spot” obsolete.
Productivity in Portability
The explosion of smartphones and tablets
have allowed us to bring high-powered
computing tasks into places we never before
could. Smaller, thinner form factors are
accommodating nearly every scenario
where technology is wanted.
Productivity in publishing
The tools to create and publish content are
easier, more accessible and cheaper than
ever. Publishers can create better content
more often and publish it to more people.
25. Extraordinary new tools altering the culture
Productivity in sharing
The tools to share content you discover
have become increasingly accessible and
plentiful. With one click of the mouse, you
can share an
article, video, URL, etc., through a multitude
of methods online.
Productivity in communication
The phone call has been replaced by text
messaging to facilitate multitasking, allow us to
choose our words more carefully and have
multiple conversations at once.
Productivity in data
The massive amount of data that flows
through our servers and websites has
facilitated more transparent results in
realtime, allowing us to make
better, faster, more-informed decisions on
the fly.
Productivity in learning
Education technology has opened up doors
to students that could never access or afford
proper learning. Lectures through iTunes,
online universities like Phoenix and rewards-
based learning software are just a few
examples of how technology is eliminating
barriers to learning for more people.
Productivity through benefits
Google’s corporate environment has taught
us the value of unique employee benefits as
a catalyst for more productivity. Whether it’s
dog sitting, gourmet food, dry cleaning or
wirelessly connected buses, each benefit is
meant to increase happiness, focus and
time on your professional duties.
Productivity through groups
Innovations like Groupon have been a boon
for businesses and consumers alike making
the selling process more efficient for
businesses and easier and more attractive
for consumers.
26. Productivity through recommendations
Whether it’s Amazon or
Pandora, technology has decreased the
effort needed to discover new content or
goods. Algorithms study our habits to better
inform our decision making and increase our
productivity as consumers. Moreover, sites
like Yelp use the power of the crowd to
better inform decision making.
Productivity through mobile purchase
Although it’s a new frontier, soon more and
more people and businesses will be
embracing the concept of the mobile
wallet, making our purchases faster and
easier than ever.
Productivity in giving
Technology and social movements have
eliminated much of the effort needed to give
back to people in need. Whether it’s texting
the Red Cross, buying Tom’s shoes or using
your Brighter Planet credit card, helping out
is easier and thus more productive than
ever.
Extraordinary new tools altering the culture
29. How can we look at productivity through the lens
of sustainable human greatness?
30. Increased speed Increased quality
Productivity
Increased skill
Human Benefits of Productivity (Laddering)
I will have more time I will achieve mastery I will create quality things and experiences
to relax to pursue my
passions
to be with
people
I love
over a problem over knowledgeover my craft for others
to enjoy
for its
own sake
so others will
be in awe of me
31. Being productive gives me the time to rest when I choose.
Being productive gives me the time to play when I choose.
Being productive gives me the time to be with the people I love.
Being productive means I will be better at what I do.
Being productive means I will be smarter than other people.
Being productive means I will outcompete my rivals.
Being productive means I will inspire others to be better.
Being productive means others will love me.
Being productive means I will serve the needs of others.
Human Benefits of Productivity
Time
Creation
Mastery
33. What are the tensions to map our statements against?
Sustainable vs. Short-term
Individual vs. Collective
Rational vs. Emotional
34. Collective
Sustainable Emotional Short-term
Individual
Being productive gives me the
time to be with the people I love.
Being productive means
I will serve the needs of others.
Rational
Being productive means
I will inspire others to be better.
Being productive means I
will outcompete my rivals.
Being productive means
others will love me.
Being productive gives me
the time to play when I choose.
Being productive gives me
the time to rest when I choose.
Being productive means
I will be better at what I do.
Being productive means
I will be smarter than other people.
Mapping Our Benefits
36. 7. MAPPING THE COMPETITION
Smartphone market example study
37. Sustainable
Individual
Rational
Rest & Family
“Being productive gives me the time to rest when I
choose.”
“The phone to save ourselves from our phones.”
Windows 7 phones are all about breaking productivity a
relaxing. Its communications show a world of people wh
are missing life as it goes by them and need a device th
helps them unplug and “get back to life,” with loved one
Microsoft
Short-term
TIME WITH FAMILY
TIME TO REST
38. Emotional
Individual
Compete & Smart
“Being productive means I will outcompete my rivals.”
Who talks about productivity as being
competitive?
“If you don’t have an iPhone, well, you don’t have an iPhone.”
Apple goes the long mile to demonstrate features worth
bragging about while lacing in competitive language to se
products “best,” “number 1,” and phrases like “then
you don’t have_______.
Apple
“Being productive means I will be smarter than other
Short-term
OUTCOMPETE RIVALS
SMARTER
39. Emotional
Individual
Play & Love
Who talks about productivity as play?
“Being productive gives me the time to play when I
choose”
HTC
“You need a phone that gets you.”
HTC’s “You” campaign is all about young people finding tim
to play and be themselves. Their communications are abou
going out, being with friends, being social and being apprec
“Being productive means others will love me.”
Short-term
ACHIEVE GLORY
TIME TO PLAY
40. Sustainable
Individual
Rational
Skilled & Smarter
“Being productive means I will be better at what I do.”
“Turning you into an instrument of efficiency.”
Motorola Droid phone consistently talks about speed and
cutting-edge technology. Their communications are heav
on numbers, insider terms, and a focus on efficiency.
“Being productive means I will be smarter than other
MORE SKILLED
SMARTER
41. Sustainable Rational
Leadership & Service
“Live what you do.”
BlackBerry owns the workplace. Their spots speak to
serving a collective need better and to rationally getting ah
in the grind. The sell is unemotional and about investmen
in the future (usually in the community or small business).
“Being productive means I will inspire others to be
better.”
“Being productive means I will serve the needs of
Short-term
SERVE OTHERS
INSPIRE OTHERS
