…you’re probably not working! The numbers are out and productivity is sagging. By just about any measure, the US was once the most productive country on earth, but a combination of short-term changes, like a six-year recovery, coupled with long-term changes, like a move to a service economy, has radically changed what it means to work—and what one defines as work—in America. If you ask me, checking email from your iPhone while attending your kid’s soccer game isn’t working. However, if you sat on the sidelines during the game, somehow managed to build a transmission and shipped it to Detroit—that’s work. The numbers back me up.
 
According to recent data released by the Labor Department, during the past five years, productivity has grown just 0.4% a year, making it the worst improvement in nearly 30 years. Of course, some of that can be blamed on economic expansion. As the US economy improved, companies expanded staff to pre-recession levels.
 
The US doesn’t make many durable goods anymore, but we churn out an awful lot of drivel that can be measured by spreadsheet lovers. You know, things like Facebook contacts, Twitter impressions and Instagram visits. After all of that info is stuffed into a spreadsheet or three, there’s usually a gaggle of nerds spending hours pouring over it only to produce…more spreadsheets! Yes, yes, if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. But if the data isn’t worth all that much to begin with, why collect it? Stop analyzing. Start doing.
 
At the World Detergent Conference last year, one of the best exchanges took place between a long-time industry veteran and a Facebook executive.
 
“I love Facebook, but I wouldn’t give up air conditioning, TV or my car for it,” said Nabil Sakkab.
“The top 10 value companies in the world, like Facebook and Google, produce nothing!”
           
He’s right. What’s worse, they may actually be detrimental to production.  Walk through cubicle valley, or corner office for that matter, and you’ll see plenty of monitors open to Facebook, ESPN and Marketwatch.
 
Maybe somebody will pull the plug on me for writing this, but Americans need to spend less time online and more time in the laboratory and on the factory floor.