Cambridge's Dictionary Adds Over 6,000 Words in 2025: When Busyness Becomes the New Productivity

Cambridge Dictionary just dropped a bombshell with its announcement of over 6,000 new words in 2025. Among these, 'mouse jiggler' stands out, a device or software that moves your computer mouse to make it look like you're working when you're not. It's a clever hack, but what does it say about our current work culture?

The Story Behind the Words

So, what's going on here? Employees are getting creative to camouflage downtime. They're grabbing coffees or sneaking in quick workouts, all while technology masks their absence. It's like an undercover mission in the workplace. But why?

Today's work culture seems obsessed with looking busy. Some companies still value face time over actual performance. You know, that traditional idea where just being present, or appearing to be, counts for more than what you actually accomplish. This approach is deeply ingrained in many organizations, yet it's outdated.

Jotform, a company pioneering new productivity metrics, takes a different path. They've shifted from merely counting hours to measuring business outcomes, revenue, customer retention, and execution speed. It's about what moves the needle, not just keeping the lights on.

What's the Real Measure?

Here's the thing: Measuring productivity wrong can lead to all sorts of headaches. When companies focus on metrics like hours logged, they end up rewarding activity over actual impact. And that can be dangerous.

Imagine the costs over time, burnout, misaligned priorities, stalled innovation. Teams become busy but not necessarily productive. Employees can even burn out trying to maintain the appearance of constant activity. When you reward looking busy, you get performative work, not meaningful progress. It’s like rewarding a novelist for typing instead of for the quality of the story.

Who wins in this scenario? Not the employees, that's for sure. And definitely not the companies that miss out on genuine innovation and efficiency because they're distracted by the wrong metrics.

The Takeaway: A Call to Action

So, what can we learn from this? Companies need to rethink what they're rewarding. Are they incentivizing busyness or actual productivity? It's time to shift the focus from how long employees sit at their desks to what they achieve while they're there.

At Jotform, they’ve moved past this. Their employees share real achievements, not how late they stayed in the office. It’s about outcomes, like product rollouts and problem-solving, that truly count.

In the end, maybe it's not about work-life balance but work-life transparency. Let’s prioritize meaningful work over metrics that don’t matter. The real challenge isn't keeping up appearances but producing results that make a difference. So, what's your organization measuring?