Work Output versus Tasks Input, A Qualitative Analysis - John Dunn, Consultant, Ambertec, P.E., P.C.

Recently, dubious studies have been reported as to the relationship between "work output" and "tasks input" of the typical worker. Results are pretty much as follows:

 

With no assigned tasks, work output is non-zero because the worker is actually alive. At point #1, worker activities serve mainly for the maintenance of autonomic body functions which very often include sleep. Persons most often found at point #1 are prisoners in solitary confinement, fast-food workers between the hours of two and four AM and certain members of Congress.

When the first introduction of an assigned task occurs, movement occurs to the right along the curve as shown, if only to oppose that input. As additional assigned tasks are introduced, rightward movement continues upward on the curve, resulting in a rise of work output. Reportedly, most supervisors see this as being a good thing.

Along this curve between point #1 and point #2, there is found a "margin" that allows workers who succeed in fulfilling their assignments to simultaneously attend to non-work related matters such as personal hygiene. However, as further and further additions are made to task inputs, margin is reduced until the worker eventually comes to point #2 as a crossover condition where there is no margin left. Margin comes to be zero.

At point #2 where the worker's output capabilities are 100% consumed by fulfillments of assigned inputs or tasks, the work output to tasks input ratio equals unity in consequence of which, some alleged childish accidents have been reported.

Adding still more tasks beyond the point #2 crossover causes movement further along the curve into zone #3, a leveling-off region in which work "backlogs" arise. These backlogs may be thought of as negative margin. As cumulative work backlogs increase with no apparent upper limit, the worker is subjected to limitless increases of personal stress.

Left unchecked, Zone #3 stress levels can become so severe that they may result in an abrupt transition through the dreaded Zone #4, the zone of near total, psychological, emotional, physical and endocrinological collapse.

While transitions from Point #1 through Zone #3 occur in easily measurable periods of time, the transition times through Zone #4 are so rapid that they have been nearly impossible to measure even with the sophistication of modern methods of metrology.

Mathematicians should take note here of the step function response.

Supervisory staff will often fail to notice a worker's Zone #4 transition and will therefore continue to add more task inputs, resulting in worker excursions into Zone #5 where work output is markedly diminished versus historical norms and where outputs fail to increase as more inputs are added.

This altered relationship between outputs and inputs has caused Zone #5 to be spoken of as the "Zoned Out Region". It is only when this altered relationship is finally perceived at supervisory levels that Zone #4 transitions get belatedly taken note of.

Where enlightened supervisory practices are followed, the discovery of a zoned out worker leads to diminished task assignments, but recovery does not proceed along the same locus as thus far described. Recovery proceeds instead along Zone #6, sometimes referred to as the "Hospital Zone".

Recovery is believed to proceed through Zone #6 and on into Zone #7 where work output again begins to rise, but so far, details of the recovery process are sketchy at best. This is partially so because of confidentiality of doctor-patient and attorney-client relationships. However, private investigators and gossip columnists are believed to be pursing investigations of this inter-zone region and we remain hopeful of their reported results in the not too distant future.

Some efficiency experts have attempted to quantify the total lost energy per victim that arises from a complete cycle through the entire loop, being inspired to that effort by the loop's self evident hysteresis. Sadly however, each expert to date who has made this attempt has done so under the aegis of one or another financially challenged educational institutions, desperate for grant money.

Thus, working under "publish-first-or-else" pressure, each expert has personally traversed the dreaded Zone #4 and is no longer available to report on results.  

Comments

[Bill Kimmel]

Complaints? Some people, particularly managers, have no sense of humor.

[John Dunn]

Yep! Guess who it was who got upset.

[George Storm]

Sorry, I can't handle this much truth, however humorously presented

[Jerry]

Really enjoyed this, John.