Start with getting clear on what you mean by “productivity”.
I frequently hear from principal investigators about productivity in the lab, and how to get more of it. The concern initially presents as a niggling sensation that more could be done. Yet, on closer inspection, it becomes evident that the lab leader is not sure what productivity goal would make sense, or indeed how even to measure their current productivity.
They aren’t alone. In his book, Slow Productivity, Cal Newport’s research on productivity concludes that “knowledge work”, as an industry, lacks clear definitions or a formula against which to measure productivity successfully. This differs from previous established industries. Agriculture and manufacturing enjoy well-established definitions and metrics for productivity. And yet, when work leapt from field or factory to the desk (or lab), clean-cut definitions of a job well done did not follow.
How the Productivity Challenge is Unique for Academic Research
Academic research is not the only sector to grapple with productivity, but I have seen its leaders somehow more occupied with the concept than in other sectors. There are markers of productivity, to be sure. Publications would be one significant measure of productivity, but those are longer-term milestones. The daily work of producing studies in the lab is much more iterative, slow, and wrought with frustrations.
The specter of funding looms large over academic research as well. While all leaders must concern themselves with budget matters and make sure that their spend of resources leads to the greatest profit, researchers must continually look ahead to a specific end date for their funding and identify new sources.
Combine these very real complexities with the fact that knowledge work broadly lacks proper productivity definitions, and it is understandable that leaders may find themselves in a loop of seeking the elusive goal of productivity.
So, how do you know what productivity is, and how do you get more of it?
Develop relevant comparisons
As I speak with these lab leaders, it becomes evident very quickly that, in the absence of defined metrics for productivity, they lean into what they know, and what they know is what they once did at earlier stages of their career. To an extent, we all look to what we have done to understand what is possible. We all need a frame of reference and to look within is perhaps a very natural instinct. However, it is a flawed measuring stick when used in isolation, for the following reasons:
- You were operating in a different context than your current team. You had a different upbringing and a different set of economic circumstances, for starters.
- We are prone to nostalgia and selective memory. How reliable is your memory about your early career days, really? Chances are that you have forgotten key aspects of your professional development or misremembered it.
- Even if your memory was crystal clear and accurate, it just doesn’t matter that much. Let’s say you remember perfectly, and you determine that people are falling short of that measure. No one else can participate in the standard-bearer of your past. It’s best to recognize that things may be different, and then put the thought aside in order to move forward.
Rather than striving blindly to produce more—more studies, more innovations, more papers, first clearly define what constitutes productivity in your lab today. You may even have an engaging teambuilding exercise to get input from your staff on those definitions.
Only then will it make sense to set more ambitious productivity goals. And from there, working iteratively from an existing baseline of productivity is going to be more productive for you than comparing people to a hazy memory of how you remember you did things a decade ago, or longer.
What if this was never quite about productivity as output?
Many of the lab leaders in my circle come to a different realization around the question of productivity. Lacking a clear definition of productivity, they realize what they are really looking for is more effort. Setting productivity goals relative to the current state of things may not be enough, if people seem unmotivated to go further. In that case, it is a question of effort.
If you’ve read this far and determined that what you really want is to inspire more effort rather than to focus on output alone, then the best way to go about this is at the individual level.
- Understand the individual career and personal goals, and find where those intersect with your own. Some lab leaders avoid these discussions or don’t find them useful because they know not everyone wants to pursue an academic career. The more you can understand what their goals are, though, the better you can link the skills they are developing to their future path, whatever that may be.
- Highlight what they are learning and the progress they have already made. Throughout childhood, parents literally measure their children’s growth in a doorframe, etching initials and heights as the years pass. Pausing to reflect on all that has already been learned, and progress already made, can be very energizing. Bonus if you ask your lab staff to initiate those reflections for themselves.
- Tie outcomes to expectations about effort where possible. As a general rule, people don’t like to be told they aren’t working hard enough, without evidence that it is causing harm or holding things back somehow, or otherwise being shown what success would look like. (Yes, this does bring us back to the question of defining productivity–don’t you love a full-circle moment?)
Reflection Questions
To gather more insight regarding productivity and effort in your lab, consider the following questions:
- When you think about changes you’d like to see in your lab, are they more about effort or outcomes?
- How are you measuring productivity today and what would incremental improvement look like?
- What do you understand about individuals’ specific career goals in your lab and what conversations have you had about how those intersect with the goals you have for your lab?
When considering how to increase productivity, start first with understanding your baseline measurements and goals. Otherwise, you risk chasing something elusive and, consequently, struggling to convince those around you of the urgency of such improvements.
Interested in continuing the conversation? Visit www.wendyhultmark.com to learn more about me, my services, and getting in touch.
