Most CEOs think their teams are crushing it. The data says they’re wrong

I spend my days talking to executives who believe their teams are performing near full capacity. They point to busy calendars, overflowing inboxes, and long hours as proof. But the data tells a different story—and it’s costing millions.

Our latest Productivity Lab analysis of more than 300,000 workers across 5,619 organizations reveals a costly reality: Companies lose $11.2 million in productivity per 1,000 employees every year. Utilization averages just 87% of capacity, while payroll costs continue at 100%—the equivalent of paying for 130 workers who aren’t contributing.

Most leaders don’t realize this is happening. Across all tracked organizations, that gap adds up to $2.86 billion in lost productivity each year, based on an average productivity goal of 6 hours and 50 minutes of produc