No matter the work being done, it's important to ensure that people are spending their time wisely, being efficient and feel they are having an impact in the workplace. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Productivity at its basis, signifies the rate of output per unit of input. The phrase echoes an era where people were seen as elements in a production line, measured by the amount of time it would take them to produce a single item. But in today's knowledge-based economy, this measure of productivity no longer holds true, making it increasingly difficult to evaluate people's' performance.

It's challenging to measure knowledge-based workers purely by the output of their productivity. Quality is often important, meaning that the sheer amount of time spent on a project, or the final work delivered, may not be directly related to the person's productivity. In today's knowledge-based economy, if organizations focus solely on measuring productivity as the volume of output of people's work, they are likely to find themselves with a stressed and disengaged workforce that feels misunderstood.

Related: 4 ways to prevent employee burnout