The OPEX Tools Series | #7 - How to Identify and Eliminate Wasted Effort in Your Work
Stop Doing More. Start Doing What Matters.
Welcome to the unique weekly article for the Paid subscribers-only edition.
This is the #7 article of The OPEX Tools Series.
Outlines and Key Takeaways
The Productivity Illusion
What Is Wasted Effort—and Why Does It Matter?
Why Wasted Effort Is So Dangerous
The OPEX Mindset: From Activity to Impact
The OPEX Tool: The 9 Wastes
How to Spot Wasted Effort in Your Day-to-Day Work
Action Step: Eliminate One Time-Wasting Task Today
Conclusion: Focus Is the New Productivity
In fast-paced, hyperconnected work environment, many professionals wear busyness as a badge of honor. Back-to-back meetings, endless email replies, and jam-packed task lists give the illusion of productivity. But being busy doesn’t always mean being effective.
If you’ve ever closed your laptop after a long workday and thought, “What did I actually get done?”—you’re not alone.
The Productivity Illusion
According to the Asana Anatomy of Work Global Index 2023, knowledge workers spend 58% of their time on "work about work"—activities like status updates, duplicating information between tools, hunting for documents, and chasing approvals. That’s the equivalent of nearly 6 working weeks lost every year to tasks that don’t move the business—or your career—forward.
And it's not just Asana. A 2023 Microsoft Work Trend Index revealed that 68% of employees report not having enough uninterrupted focus time during the day, and 62% struggle with too many meetings. As a result, many feel overworked but underutilized.
“We’re not facing a productivity crisis—we’re facing a clarity crisis,” says Microsoft’s Chief Scientist Jaime Teevan.