We have an addiction in the corporate world. We praise the 'grinders'—the ones who send emails at 2 AM, who attend twelve meetings a day, who are always 'swamped.' But when you look closer, are they a
We have an addiction in the corporate world. We praise the 'grinders'—the ones who send emails at 2 AM, who attend twelve meetings a day, who are always 'swamped.' But when you look closer, are they actually moving the needle?
Or are they just spinning the hamster wheel? There is a massive difference between activity and impact. And most companies hire for the former.
The Illusion of Motion
I call this 'Performative Busyness.' It’s the art of looking productive without creating value. When you hire for capacity ('We need hands on deck!'), you get motion. When you hire for impact ('We need to solve X problem'), you get results. Automation forces this distinction. If a job can be automated, it was likely 'activity.' If it can't, it's 'impact.'
Hire for Curiosity, Not Capacity
In my hiring process at JotForm, I don't look for someone who can grind through a todo list. I look for the 'lazy' person—the one who hates the todo list so much they find a way to automate it. I hire for curiosity. I hire for empathy. I hire for the soft skills that AI cannot replicate. These are the people who drive impact.
The 80/20 Rule of Human Talent
Your goal as a leader should be to automate the 80% of work that is maintenance (busy work) so your team can focus on the 20% that is innovation (impact). If you hire people to do the 80%, you are building a legacy workforce in an automated world.
Stop rewarding the busy. Start rewarding the impactful. Your P&L will thank you.
