Time management: should people work under someone else’s gaze?
A manager watching a case being handled in real time often hopes to speed up its completion. The more precise management question is: for which tasks does an observer’s presence help progress, and for which might it undermine the work?
What the literature establishes
Robert B. Zajonc (1965, Science) proposes a mechanism for understanding apparently contradictory findings: the presence of others would favour dominant responses, those that come most readily. When these responses suit a well-practised task, performance may improve; when a task calls for a new response, the same dynamic may be detrimental. This is a theoretical framework informed by experimental research, not a demonstration concerning managers’ schedules.
Speed and quality do not respond in the same way
Charles F. Bond and Linda J. Titus (1983, Psychological Bulletin) show in their meta-analysis that the effects of others’ presence vary with task complexity and the performance dimension being examined. Their synthesis reports, among other findings, faster performance on simple tasks and slower performance on complex tasks, together with reduced accuracy on the latter. Faster case completion is therefore not, on its own, evidence of better use of time.
The overly hasty conclusion
One might conclude that employees should be isolated whenever a case becomes difficult. Yet this research does not justify equating an observer’s presence with that of a colleague who contributes useful expertise. The relevant distinction concerns what the other person does during the task: watch its progress or help solve the problem. (our executive and employee training programmes)
What the evidence cannot prescribe
This research does not directly test digital dashboards, continuous screen sharing or contemporary remote monitoring practices. Complexity cannot simply be assigned to a category of cases either: an operation that is routine for an experienced employee may remain difficult for a new recruit. Turning these findings into a uniform rule on office attendance or remote working would therefore exceed the available evidence.
A practical check in Zurich
In a Zurich team working in financial services, insurance, tech or an international group’s European headquarters, SHR’s “Time Management & Prioritisation” programme can include a trial using non-critical internal tasks, distinguishing well-practised operations from unfamiliar analyses. Over an agreed period, alternate comparable tasks for each participant between a silent-observer condition and a no-observer condition, without removing available assistance or mandatory checks. Record processing time, then correction time and compliance with requirements using a consistent assessment rubric, ideally applied without knowing the working condition. Compare total time to an acceptable result at comparable quality, rather than visible speed alone; this local trial informs an organisational decision without establishing a general law. To go further: explore the Time Management & Prioritisation training in Zurich in the canton of Zurich, or browse our executive and employee training programmes in Switzerland.
In pictures: Time Management & Prioritisation in Zurich
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