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Busy isn’t the Job

Rethinking Productivity in a World That Rewards Noise

Stop performing busy. Get back to the work you were hired to do.

Daniel Mercer, consultant and writer on work and productivity

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Busy Isn't the Job by Daniel Mercer, book cover: a brown leather briefcase with a yellow sticky note on a sky blue ground.

Your days disappear into meetings, status updates, stand-ups and inboxes.

You end the week busy.

And the real work is still waiting.

Most workplaces reward looking busy: a full calendar, fast replies, visible activity.

Busy or the job?

  1. Audit where your week really goes.
  2. Cut or shrink the noise.
  3. Protect time for the work you were hired to do.
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Inside the book

  1. Why work rewards looking busyThe full calendar, the fast reply, the visible activity.
  2. Busy or the jobHow to tell the two apart.
  3. Audit your weekWhere your time really goes.
  4. Cut or shrink the noiseMeetings, status updates, stand-ups, inbox.
  5. Protect the real workThe time you were hired for.
  6. For leadersHelping a team stop performing busyness.

Daniel Mercer

Consultant and writer on work and productivity. Also the author of The Book Launch Playbook.

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What readers say

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Busy or the job?

Was last week busy, or the job?

Mark each one from your own last week. Nothing is scored for you, and nothing leaves this page.

  1. The meetings I sat in
  2. The status updates I wrote
  3. The stand-ups I joined
  4. The replies I sent within minutes
  5. The hours on the work I was hired to do
  6. The time I spent being seen to work

Busy isn’t the job. This is.

Busy Isn't the Job by Daniel Mercer, book cover.
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This is a sample book, made as a concept. It is not published or on sale.

For leaders and their teams

Bulk orders for teams

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Workshops

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Speaking

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Questions

Who is this book for?

Managers, team leads and office workers whose days disappear into meetings, status updates, stand-ups and inboxes, and leaders who want their teams to stop performing busyness.

Is it for me or for my team?

Both. It is written for individuals, and for leaders who want their teams to stop performing busyness.

What formats is it in? Is there an audiobook?

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Can I order copies for my team?

See For leaders and their teams above. Placeholder: bulk order details.

Is this a real book?

No. It is a sample book, made as a concept. It is not published or on sale.