Grove distinguishes between activity and output when assessing productivity. Activity measures how much work appears to be taking place, while output measures what that work actually produces. His argument is that increasing activity does not necessarily improve results and may instead consume time and resources without creating additional value.

The quote reflects a management approach in which attention is directed towards measurable outcomes rather than visible busyness. For managers, this means defining the results a team is expected to produce and examining whether its processes contribute to those results. The distinction can also help identify inefficient practices, such as unnecessary meetings, excessive reporting or tasks that add effort without improving performance. Grove’s wider point is that productivity improves when organisations focus on useful results and judge activities according to how effectively they contribute to them.