“Happy to help! Here to help with any questions!”
Meanwhile, they’re withholding the exact information you need to actually do the work.
Welcome to productivity theater.
When Teamwork Becomes Performance Art
I’m seeing this everywhere lately. Teams that look collaborative on paper but are really just working in parallel toward similar (but not identical) goals with completely different incentives.
It’s not teamwork. It’s the clarion call of status quo wrapped in flowery strategic phrases.
The artifacts are everywhere once you know what to look for:
No real accountability. No consequences for missed deadlines or dropped responsibilities.
Decision-making by committee. Which really means no decisions at all.
“Can you take the lead on this?” Translation: assume all the risk while I retain veto power.
The Visibility Trap
The most dangerous version asks you to do work “for visibility” in areas completely outside your control.
They want you accountable for results while actively hindering your ability to influence those results.
There’s a limit to how much you can accomplish when you don’t control anyone’s paycheck.
The Quick Call Con
“Let’s do a quick call to discuss.”
No agenda. No transcript. No record of what was actually decided.
These aren’t collaboration sessions. They’re flim-flam sessions designed to create the appearance of progress while avoiding any concrete commitments.
Your Defense Strategy
Take obsessive notes. Send summaries after every interaction. Create surface area for people to correct you.
Here’s some black magic: include an obvious error in your recap emails.
People love correcting mistakes but will ignore true facts. That “mistake” forces them to actually read your summary and confirm (or correct) what was really discussed.
The Real Test
Want to know if you’re dealing with genuine collaboration or productivity theater?
Look for a clear, unambiguous goal that’s explicitly shared by everyone involved.
If you can’t find one, you’re watching a performance.
What’s the most obvious example of productivity theater you’ve encountered lately? And more importantly—how are you protecting yourself from getting cast in someone else’s performance?
Hit reply and share your war stories. I’m collecting stories.