How to Stop Rewarding Performative Work and Focus on Results

If you ask someone to stay late so a senior leader can see them, you are rewarding visibility instead of results. That teaches the team to manage appearances and makes it harder to tell whether the work is going well.

A friend once told me his manager asked him to stay after a full day, even though his work was done. The reason was that the manager's boss tended to arrive later. The request was about optics, not a deadline or workload. I have seen variations of this problem throughout my career.

Measure the work that matters

Hours and activity are easy to observe. They are not the same as useful output. Decide what a good result looks like, then discuss whether the goal is clear and achievable.

Some work is difficult to measure with a simple count. Consider quality, risk, customer impact, and how someone helps colleagues. That is still better than treating time at a desk as proof of effort.

Explain the expectations

If a deadline changes, say why. If a project is behind, discuss the work and the choices that led there. Avoid asking people to look busy or stay available without a clear reason.

Some roles depend on coverage or customer availability. Make those needs explicit and apply them consistently.

Protect the team from theater

You may not control every expectation above you. You can be clear with your team about what you value. If your boss expects late hours, describe the business need and discuss the tradeoffs. Do not make your team guess whether leaving on time will hurt them.

If someone is staying late, ask whether there is more work or whether they think visibility is required. Then address the expectation that created the behavior.

Consistent one-on-ones help you understand what is happening. The point is to make time for useful conversations and act on what you learn. Look at what your decisions reward. If people advance because they are always visible, the team will optimize for visibility. Make the next decision clearer.