Stop Measuring Activity: Clarity Creates Productivity

Shannon Lea Reynolds
Dec 3, 2025
3 min read

The Problem

Burnout is everywhere right now. And if you’ve felt it creeping into your own work or your team, you’re not alone.

But here’s the mistake so many leaders make: they measure activity instead of productivity.

They reward the person who logs in first and signs off last, the one who constantly replies in the group chat, or the one who “looks busy” all day long. On the surface, that looks like commitment. In reality, it creates exhaustion, burnout, and competition instead of collaboration.

Have you ever been in that kind of environment, where the real metric was how long you were seen working rather than what you actually produced? Most of us have. And it feels draining. Discouraging. Like no matter how hard you work, it’s never enough.

Now think about the opposite experience: a project or role where results mattered more than hours in the chair. Where systems were clear, expectations concise, and communication didn’t require endless reply-all threads. Do you remember the relief of that? The energy it gave you? The creativity and future-thinking it opened up?

That’s the difference between activity and productivity—and it’s also the difference between burnout and sustainable performance.

The Stakes

If we don’t address this “experience debt,” burnout will continue to eat away at productivity, innovation, and retention. And here’s the kicker: no amount of free snacks or mindfulness apps will make up for poorly designed communication and unclear expectations.

A WebMD Health Services survey of 4,001 employees found that only one in four strongly agree their employer genuinely cares about their well-being. But those who do feel cared for? They show 56% higher engagement and 37% lower burnout. That’s not a perk. That’s a performance driver.

(Source: WebMD Health Services, 2025 Workplace & Employee Survey Results)

And as Harvard Business Review recently argued: “It’s time to streamline how we communicate at work.” Too many tools, too many messages, too little clarity. It’s draining our best people and costing us growth.

(Source: Harvard Business Review, August 2025)

The Plan

The leaders who win in this moment will be the ones who design for clarity: clear systems, concise processes, and norms that focus on results, not noise. That’s how you show your people they matter.

Here’s a simple framework you can try right now:

The 30-Day Comm-Clarity Sprint

1. Design (Start Small, Make It Practical)

Choose two communication rules that directly reduce noise. For example:

“Five-sentence updates only.” Why? Because long, winding messages force people to dig for the point. Limiting updates to five sentences forces clarity, respects everyone’s time, and makes it easier to act quickly without second-guessing what’s really being asked.
“No Slack after 6 pm.” Why? Because when messages arrive at all hours, people never truly switch off. Creating a clear boundary signals that rest is part of performance, prevents burnout, and means that when your team shows up tomorrow, they’re recharged and ready—not half-drained from constant notifications.

These rules aren’t about restriction; they’re about liberation: freeing people from mental clutter so they can focus on the work that matters most.

2. Roll-Out (Explain the Why, Not Just the Rule)

Share the purpose: “We’re doing this because your time and focus matter. Concise updates and clear boundaries give you more energy and clarity for the work that drives results.” Then model it yourself.

3. Track

At weeks 1 and 4, ask: Did these norms reduce noise? Did focus improve?

4. Reflect

Adjust and carry forward what worked.

The Vision

Imagine your team walking into Monday knowing exactly what channels to use, how long updates should be, and when they don’t need to respond. That’s not just communication hygiene, it’s a culture of care.

And when clarity becomes the standard, activity for activity’s sake disappears. Productivity rises. Energy returns. Creativity flows. And suddenly, your team isn’t just reacting to fires or wading through message threads; they’re building the future with you.

Because clarity isn’t just efficiency. Clarity is care.