Nobody Cares How Hard You Work

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Long HoursAn article recently in 99U had this headline, and it really caught my attention. And you can read it here. Working through the available research, author Oliver Burkeman points out that most likely we “chronically confuse the feeling of effort with the reality of results”. That is, just because we have spent a long time at work doesn’t mean we have actually achieved anything of significance.

Burkeman highlights the “labour illusion” which is where people are more concerned that a job appeared to take an appropriate amount of time rather than whether it was actually done properly. He gives examples like the locksmith that became so good at his job he was able to do most things in little time, but then his customers complained that they felt cheated that it took him so little time and effort. Also, you know that little whirly thing on flight search pages that spins about while you are waiting for the best deal available? Well people would rather wait for a longer time with that showing, than not have it showing and get the results quicker, because it looks like the site is “working hard”.

He also brings to attention the “Effort Trap”, whereby spending a 10 hour day barely achieving anything other than routine is felt more worthy than spending two hours “in deep hard concentration on hard thinking, followed by a leisurely afternoon off”. Yet the two hours is more effective than the 10. Yet we still fall trap to the idea that hard work is what ultimately matters.

This idea lives in too many workplaces, where promotion is linked to the boss sensing the effort and hard work resulting from long hours, rather than your outputs. It should be more about making sure you are doing the right things, rather than just doing a lot of things.

Burkeman advises us to spend the first two hours of our workday on the most important tasks, and challenges us to consider limiting our working hours. Being tired at the end of the day is not a good indicator of a day well spent.

The Avondale Business School can advise your organisation on being effective in these areas – find out how by contacting Warrick Long at the Avondale Business School.

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