Task-masking. Do you reward and measure staff performance based on output, or presence?

Ever heard of “task masking”? Here’s the Google AI Overview:

Read that description and you’ll recognise that task masking has been going on for decades – there’s always been that one person in a professional setting who never really seems to make progress.

But in the era of TikTok, it’s not just Graham from Accounts shuffling around the office and standing by the photocopier.  It’s a trend; a living, breathing, viral thing.

Our first reaction is to assume that this is a direct result of laziness. 

But according to several articles I’ve read recently, the rise in its popularity has more to do with companies forcing their workers to return to the office, even if they’re more productive (and would prefer to stay) at home.

At its heart, the issue lies in how you reward and measure staff performance – is it based on output, or presence? 

Most businesses need a balance of both, but if your organisation is set up to require people to be “in” at all costs, regardless of impact, it might be worth a rethink.

And just to be clear, that isn’t a directive that “work from home” is the right way forward.

Instead, it’s an acknowledgement of this reality: 

Task masking isn’t going away any time soon, so the question for you as a leader is: what are you going to do about it?