I’ve sat in leadership meetings where “the boss” feels a need to ensure that everyone has actions. Strategy sessions where they’ve visibly mentally scratched around to create something to do.
Because that’s what a boss does, right? Always has something for their team to do.
And so we create high volumes of pointless busyness. People being told to get busy doing something that has no real impact, no real meaning, but just in order to be busy.
And in order for the leader to feel like they are commanding, and doing what leaders are supposed to do.
{At a national level, the feeling that the leader “must act” has even led to wars that have made things infinitely worse.}
Except that’s not leadership. It’s at best ineffectuality, at worst professional vanity.
If there’s not something of impact to be done by your team, get comfortable not giving them something to do. If you have a good team, they’ll be productive still. But they’ll have space to figure out what kinds of things they can be doing to help move the needle on your business.
So if there’s nothing to do, then do something else!