Verbs of Productivity
In any office, productivity is a series of actions: analyze, delegate, report, confer, decode, and track. These verbs are made tangible through the tools we use, from email to spreadsheets. As Benedict Evans observes, these tools shape the patterns of our work. They break apart, combine, and train the verbs of productivity. However, we should not mistake these patterns for the essence of “real work.” The underlying business itself evolves and so must our understanding of productivity. It’s not about sending emails or making spreadsheets; it’s about asking: What’s going on? What are we doing? What should we be doing? The tools may change, but the fundamental questions remain the same. An organization is built on the creation and analysis of information—while communicating one or the other.