Online Reporter
Rutendo Gwatidzo
Changing Perspectives
At the beginning of the month, everything looks impressive.
Desks are fully occupied, meetings running and everyone is busy on their laptops.
The WhatsApp work groups were buzzing with updates and progress reports throughout the previous month.
But, by the end of the month, the managing director asked one question, “What meaningful outcomes did we deliver this month?”
For a moment, the silence could be we felt.
That is when I knew something was not right.
People had spent the whole month busy but, without delivering tangible value.
The same kind of this quiet struggle is what many organisations carried into the new year and they probably continue to carry it into the following month.
Throughout 2025, both employees and managers appeared busy but there was nothing of value tangible at the end of the year.
Often times, many people confuse activity with achievement.
We polish images instead of fixing problems.
We look productive, yet nothing truly shifts.
Busy has become a disguise in many organisations and with many people.
For instance, you try to make an appointment with a manager and you hear that the person is busy and not available probably for the next three months.
Funny enough when you check on their performance report after those three months you can hardly find any valuable deliverable.
Value is the real deliverable, not busyness.
The culture that must die!
A significant number of managers and employees alike, have become so good at piling up reports that nobody uses.
Meetings called “strategic” are those that simply repeat irrelevant discussions.
Big launches and speeches take place, yet projects stall halfway.
People get copied in emails for visibility, not contribution.
People do activities to manage impressions, not impact.
Sadly, a good number of leaders reward appearances, not outcomes.
Meanwhile, customers wait, costs rise, and momentum slows
The better culture!
High-impact organisations ask one tough question.
What problem did we solve and who benefited? Value is visible.
For example, a bank redesigns a process and queues disappear, that’s value.
When a supermarket improves stock control and shelves stay full, that’s value.
When hospitals reduce waiting times because systems are streamlined, that’s value.
When manufacturers reduce returns through tighter quality controls, that’s value.
Peter Drucker once said, “ There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently what should not be done at all.” Many teams are simply perfecting the wrong things.
We see it often, organisations spend months creating glossy “strategy documents,” holding retreats and conferences, yet basic service standards remain poor.
The document becomes decoration and customers continue to complain.
Or, a company invests in new technology, but staff are not trained.
They resist, revert to manual processes, and leadership believes they are “modernising.” yet, it’s simply money gone without transformation.
Why do we default to “busy mode”?
Sometimes it’s fear because measurable work exposes whether we delivered or not.
Sometimes it’s confusion because when priorities are unclear, people just stay in motion.
Sometimes it’s reward systems because titles, presence, and meetings are celebrated more than execution.
If you need deal impact, it’s time to reset the scoreboard.
The real question is not supposed to be, “How long were we at work?”
It is supposed to be, “What actually changed because we were at work?”
Results are key!
Each day must focus on outcomes that truly matter.
Meetings should exist only when they drive decisions. Leaders must insist on closing issues, not dragging them across months.
Individuals must shift from wanting applause to building competence, credibility, and consistency. Leadership carries the highest responsibility.
When leaders reward noise, organisations deliver noise.
Leaders must simplify priorities, remove barriers, empower teams, and recognise reliable delivery even when it happens quietly.
I believe Steve Jobs captured it well when he said, “It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.”
This week, choose one thing that truly matters and finish it.
Cancel one unnecessary meeting or activity.
Close one long-delayed issue and deliver one clear result.
Focus on giving less talk but, more traction.
Let the value from your work do the speaking and let this be the year where value finally becomes the new culture.
You don’t have to tell people about your work, rather, let your work tell people about you.
Be challenged, encouraged and inspired to deliver value in everything you do.
Rutendo Gwatidzo is a human capital executive and managing consultant at e HUB HR Consultancy. She is a multi-award winning leader, transformational speaker and coach. She is also the author of Born to Fight and Breaking the Silence books. Contact details– 0714575805/ [email protected] / Rutendo Gwatidzo O cial FB public page.
