39 · Doing
Labor Illusion
People value a result more when they can see the work that went into it, even if they had to wait.
Evidence: Holds, with limitsWhat we do with it
- 01
If something takes time, show what's really happening: which sources are being checked, which step it's on.
- 02
Real work only. Fake steps put on to look busy cross a line, and people stop trusting the product once they notice.
- 03
It doesn't excuse a slow product. Make it fast first, then show the work that's left.
Examples
Getting it wrong, getting it right.
Don't
A spinner that says “Analyzing…” for twenty seconds with no hint of what's happening.
Do
“Checking page 4 of 12: /pricing”, updated as it really happens.
The evidence
What the research says.
In Ryan Buell and Michael Norton's 2011 experiments, people sometimes preferred a site that made them wait and showed its work over one that returned the same results instantly. Buell and Norton drew the line themselves: showing real work is honest, and faking the look of effort moves toward an ethical boundary. A 2017 follow-up with Tami Kim and Chia-Jung Tsay in university dining halls went further: when cooks and customers could see each other, customers rated the food 22.2% higher and it came out 19.2% faster.
How our view changed
We show real progress. We never add steps or delay to look busy.
Sources
- Buell, R. W., & Norton, M. I. (2011). The labor illusion: How operational transparency increases perceived value. Management Science, 57(9).
- Buell, R. W., Kim, T., & Tsay, C.-J. (2017). Creating reciprocal value through operational transparency. Management Science, 63(6).
Last reviewed November 7, 2026. How we keep this current