Everybody Sure Is Busy Lately
April 22nd, 2006One of the common themes of my work with executives is that many of them tell me how busy they are. The italics and quotes are intentional. I’m trying to give you a sense of the stress and importance that are being conveyed. This has been going on for at least 10 years. [It may be that they were telling me that long before then, but that’s when I started noticing it.] Now it’s a common refrain from managers as well.
No doubt you’ve experienced these moments:
How are you, Terry? “Swamped. You?”
Hey Jack. How’s it going? “Man, I’m buried. Good to see you though.”
Hi Adrian, how’s it going? “Busy, busy, busy!”
[Somebody did tell me once that since I’m a consultant, and 6’3”, and USED TO wear black a lot until a friend clued me in, this behavior might be a defense mechanism for potential layoff recommendations I might make to some GM or CEO. Scary funny. Stupid.]
When several managers at one location mention this malaise (and it happens a lot), I spend a few days sampling how busy the building looks and feels at 6 pm.
What do you think I find, almost without fail?
Ghost town.
Rarely a soul to be found.
Dead.
Is that a computer fan I hear whirring?
How can all these people be so “busy” if they’re all going home by 5:30? It’s not possible!
Busy is all nighters. Three in a week.
Busy is your cube smelling like take out Chinese dinner the next morning.
Busy is your kids saying they miss seeing you before they go to school.
Busy is missing seeing your kids before school because you left before the HOV lane closed to cars with one occupant.
Busy is finding your toothbrush on the ledge above the sink of the bathroom at the office.
Busy is buying shirts at the Brooks Brothers at the airport because you didn’t have time to pack.
Busy is taking a change of clothes to work, not “just in case”. Because if you’re busy, you KNOW.
Otherwise, you’re not that busy.
Really.
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April 22nd, 2006 at 11:58 pm
Really? Not spending 70 hours a week at the office mean you are not busy?
Isn’t the fact that some people are truly busy during office hours is the reason they can leave the building at a decent hour?
What about those of us who leave the office at 5.30, but log in from home at 8pm to continue the work until it’s done?……
Yes, it’s possible that these people are really busy. I know because I am busy too, but many times not as busy as people who leave the office before I do.
Anyway, enough of that. I actually meant to give my kudos to both of you for this website and podcast. I discovered your podcast last night as I was ‘busy’ preparing Monday’s status update while sitting on my bed.
ManagerTools is exactly what I have been looking for. Your knowledge, opinions, and suggestions are insightful, and most importantly, can be used in real life. I appreciate the nuts and bolts and how-tos.
OK. Gotta go catch up on all your archives. You are doing a great favor to the world by sharing your knowledge and experiences. Thank You!
April 23rd, 2006 at 4:21 pm
Mark:
Do you think “busy” means not organized, not goal oriented, not good at priority setting or we get in the trap of doing work for others too much of the time because we don’t think they can or will do it right (i.e. the way we think it should be done?).
I find that I get “busy” when I try to do too much and don’t stop and set priorities on what’s really important and…”the best use of my time” at that moment.
Just a thought.
Chuck
April 25th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
I think there is just a general feeling that with cell phones, crackberries, and pagers we are never really off work. Even when I go on vacation next week I’m worried that I’ll not really put work out of my mind (especially if they call me!). When we can never truly switch out of work-mode, I think it leads to burn out and a general feeling of always being busy … even if it doesn’t look like we are working a large number of hours.
April 25th, 2006 at 11:14 pm
MHeintz-
Spot on right. Everybody feels busy, because we’re TERRIBLY inefficient (in part because we’re ineffective). Then, we add “marketing” on top of that, and we start talking about being busy.
I’ll blog on the main blog about this before you go on vacation… you should read it before you go.
Mark
April 27th, 2006 at 1:05 pm
I’ll speak up for that small segment of your readership/listeners that work for government agencies. In my agency, our workers are hourly. Overtime requires the direct approval of the agency director and, in this state, if a director were to approve overtime he/she better be ready to explain to a senator or congressman why he did it. Needing overtime is seen as poor management. If you were a good manager, you could get the work done during the work day.
Some of us are on salary but staying late is still heavily frowned upon. I know of several of us who log in remotely from home to get finished up.
Yes, we complain about being busy and yes, our parking lot is a desert at 6 p.m.
Our bottom line: working longer hours is not always an option. It doesn’t mean we aren’t busy.
Great podcasts and great website. Please accept any criticism from me as intended to be constructive.
April 27th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
My office-mate and I made a pact today; whenever someone at work asks us if we are busy, we will reply, “No. Not really”, regardless of whether we are not.
This is to irritate all those who claim busyness while not really accomplishing much
April 27th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
Shawn-
Well done you (two)!! You’re someone who I think has gotten the point of my post… more soon.
Mark
May 4th, 2006 at 10:54 am
Hi Mark - I really liked your view on this. I have been guilty of this myself and I will share this with many here. I think its a lesson that so many of us need to hear. Thanks!! Hope you had fun at the game last night!! Did Barry come through?
Jim
May 4th, 2006 at 9:10 pm
Jim-
Barry went 0-fer last night, but it was nice to see a game. I was 8 rows up, and I can still feel the park. One of my favorite quotes of any type is one Jon Miller, the Giants announcer, uttered aftera SFG loss during spring training years ago.
“Well, come back tomorrow folks. Because it’s spring, and it’s baseball, and you never know.” That’s sweet. Time begins on opening day.
Also, I can see why you like the post… and there’s more to come on this subject.
Thanks for joining us!
Mark
May 28th, 2006 at 9:57 am
First - thank you for producing an excellent podcast that gives us tangible tools we can employ immediately and daily.
Next - I currently do not have staff of my own, but report into the CIO and sit on his management committee that is comprised of his direct reports. I consistently raise topics and suggestions from the manager-tools podcast to this group and find it rewarding to see the lightbulbs go on in their heads as they accept and implement these ideas.
Regarding ‘busy-ness’ - My experience has been: when taking work home, or working long hours begins to become the ’status quo’, rather than the occasional ‘push’ to get something finite done, it is time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, ask myself ‘what is really important’, and reevalute all that I am working on, in the bigger context. This results in my: 1) culling activities down to the most important ones; and 2) culling time spent on activities relative to their overall importance in the grand scheme of things.
I tend to be a pefectionist with my work products, but sometimes pretty good, is good enough, in order to keep things moving at an optimum pace.
Thanks again for the cast!
-Joanne
May 30th, 2006 at 1:28 am
Joanne-
You’re welcome! Thanks for the kind remarks.
I’m not a perfectionist, and so even though my issue is different (starting but not finishing), we both find value in paring back every once in a while.
Glad you’re a member. It’s a privilege to serve you.
Mark