In today’s remote and hybrid work environments, tools like Microsoft Teams have become indispensable for collaboration. However, a word of caution to managers: the status function – showing whether someone is “Available,” “Away,” or “In a Meeting” – was never designed as a surveillance mechanism to monitor your team’s every move. It’s not Big Brother; it’s simply a presence indicator meant to facilitate communication, not to police productivity.
Relying on status updates to gauge performance can lead to misguided assumptions and erode trust within your organisation. Instead, focus on what truly matters: measuring and managing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These metrics provide tangible insights into outputs and results, rather than superficial signals of activity. By prioritising KPIs, you encourage a results-oriented culture where employees are valued for their contributions, not their constant visibility.
After all, creating the illusion of busyness is easier than you might think. Anyone can jiggle or wiggle their mouse every now and again to keep their status green – and it can even be automated, as the attached Excel file demonstrates. This simple workaround highlights why presence tracking is no substitute for genuine performance evaluation.
👉<File> (Check your downloads)
