Too Much Can be Too Bad!Smart workers are more productive than workaholics
Key learnings
Workaholism is a deadly addiction that can impede organisational wellness
The key is working smarter not longer
Timely time-offs prevent burnout and rejuvenate employee creativity and performance
Very often we observe friends who constantly check official mail when they are home on weekends. Very often we see people on a vacation constantly on their phones enquiring about the office? For most of them are so passionately attached to their work, they do not wish to see beyond. Hard workers start off to prove themselves, but unreasonably long hours of work eventually leads them to the 'me and my work' syndrome. Dr. Harvette Grey, a Psychologist, believes that "If you are doing a good job on the job, that's good, but to really do a good job, you have to have something other than work. We all want to make money, but not at the expense of relationships." Take the case of Maria, a biotechnology graduate working for one of the most reputed firms. She is a topper in her graduation and a top performer at work. However, she takes time off to indulge in her favourite sport or visit old age homes with gifts. Maria believes "I could not maintain focus and energy if I worked nonstop. I would completely lose perspective." The Busy Business Working hard is not all that counts. Working smarter is the key to success. "Just 'staying busy' is not what your boss wants" says Steve Rothberg, founder of CollegeRecruiter.com. Most often one comes across individuals who are occupied with some work or the other. Whether the work performed is productive, or useful is immaterial to these workers. Quite often unproductive activities exhaust the organisations savings and increase expenses. In the past employees who worked overtime were always looked upon by others. The reasons for the overtime could have varied from pending work, need for extra pay or even rework towards rectification. Seldom has the authentic desire to excel in the job been a motivator for the overtime. Thankfully, this phenomenon is almost extinct in most workplaces. Employers and employees alike have understood the value of being smart workers by taking time off and tackling exhaustion. The concern is 'Are the most hardworking employees the most successful ones?' Today, the unbearably hard working employees are typically seen as 'self-centric', 'fiercely aggressive', 'self-doubting' and 'unorganised.' Dreadfully hard working employees offer dwindling returns to the organisation. Time Off Employees who put in longer hours of work lose focus and eventually disorder and inefficiency creeps in. The most common ill-effects of working too hard are:
Very often we observe friends who constantly check official mail when they are home on weekends. Very often we see people on a vacation constantly on their phones enquiring about the office? For most of them are so passionately attached to their work, they do not wish to see beyond. Hard workers start off to prove themselves, but unreasonably long hours of work eventually leads them to the 'me and my work' syndrome. Dr. Harvette Grey, a Psychologist, believes that "If you are doing a good job on the job, that's good, but to really do a good job, you have to have something other than work. We all want to make money, but not at the expense of relationships." Take the case of Maria, a biotechnology graduate working for one of the most reputed firms. She is a topper in her graduation and a top performer at work. However, she takes time off to indulge in her favourite sport or visit old age homes with gifts. Maria believes "I could not maintain focus and energy if I worked nonstop. I would completely lose perspective." The Busy Business Working hard is not all that counts. Working smarter is the key to success. "Just 'staying busy' is not what your boss wants" says Steve Rothberg, founder of CollegeRecruiter.com. Most often one comes across individuals who are occupied with some work or the other. Whether the work performed is productive, or useful is immaterial to these workers. Quite often unproductive activities exhaust the organisations savings and increase expenses. In the past employees who worked overtime were always looked upon by others. The reasons for the overtime could have varied from pending work, need for extra pay or even rework towards rectification. Seldom has the authentic desire to excel in the job been a motivator for the overtime. Thankfully, this phenomenon is almost extinct in most workplaces. Employers and employees alike have understood the value of being smart workers by taking time off and tackling exhaustion. The concern is 'Are the most hardworking employees the most successful ones?' Today, the unbearably hard working employees are typically seen as 'self-centric', 'fiercely aggressive', 'self-doubting' and 'unorganised.' Dreadfully hard working employees offer dwindling returns to the organisation. Time Off Employees who put in longer hours of work lose focus and eventually disorder and inefficiency creeps in. The most common ill-effects of working too hard are:
Losing focus
Long-term stress and fatigue
Ill-health
Diminishing creativity levels
Workaholism
Unbalanced personal life
Long-term stress and fatigue
Ill-health
Diminishing creativity levels
Workaholism
Unbalanced personal life
"If you work all the time, you lose your edge" cautions Diane Fassel, author of the book 'Working Ourselves to Death'. In practical terms, an employee immersed in trivial jobs and issues will be most unlikely to get imaginative. Creativity cannot come to an employee engrossed completely in mundane activities. Most often, such employees are petrified of being branded as losers. They constantly work that gives them a fallacy of being confident. In reality, confidence comes from belief in oneself and the work well done with integrity and awareness. Yerkes-Dodson Law and Workaholism According to the Yerkes-Dodson Law "too little or too much stimulation is bad." Similarly, a happy employee is the one whose work function is neither very heavy nor very light. Workaholism is yet another obsession associated with people 'who can't stop working.' Experts define workaholism as 'exclusion of everything else in one's life.' Workaholism is a serious condition that results in lowered self-confidence, workplace morale and poor performance. Ironically, most employees flaunt the term proudly. World over and particularly in the U.S workaholics are on the rise. Workaholism is the most misconstrued addiction. People interpret work addiction as 'working hard'. However, there is a distinct difference between hard workers and workaholics. Hard workers work hard on their jobs and relax once a task or project is completed. Workaholics typically work long hours even when not required. Most often they are wedded to their jobs. Checking, rechecking and constantly thinking about the job even on the beach are the characteristics of a workaholic. Laptops and the e-mail have simplified things for workaholics. A study by the Families and Work Institute reveals
That one in three Americans bring work home at least once a week
Americans take short vacations, 19 days per year compared to 42 days in Germany
Tell-tale signs of a workaholic
The employee works for longer hours than required
Neglects personal life; talks about work all the time, even at home
A conspicuous absence of any hobbies or social life
Calls office even on a vacation
Or probably never goes on a vacation
Americans take short vacations, 19 days per year compared to 42 days in Germany
Tell-tale signs of a workaholic
The employee works for longer hours than required
Neglects personal life; talks about work all the time, even at home
A conspicuous absence of any hobbies or social life
Calls office even on a vacation
Or probably never goes on a vacation
Stress Free Organisations Occasionally organisations prefer workaholics anticipating greater productivity. The truth is far from this expectation. Workaholics are bad team players as they are self-focused. The desire for fame prevents effective delegation as they want absolute credit for work performed. Excess workload often results in fatigue and stress that eventually leads to burnout. Another feature that's characteristic of a workaholic is restlessness, flared tempers and negative vibes. These thwart positive workplace culture. According to Psychologists "There's a loss of physical and psychological health and eventually they [may] die of a stroke or heart attack." Helpline Organisations inadvertently create workaholics by over-stressing on performance, targets and rewards. Workaholics need careful handling. Managers though can insist on /suggest Setting realistic goals within flexible time frames: Allotting extra time for genuine reasons assists rational project management and avoids burnout. Monitoring employee work: Mentoring aids in identifying employees overloaded with unnecessary work. Peer mentoring or coaching enhances team spirit, confidence and ensures people are not pushed beyond their limitations. Respecting time-off: Managers can encourage time-offs with weekly sport sessions, hobbies or 'use-it-or-lose it vacation programmes.' Employees who do not avail their yearly vacation leave lose it and are not eligible for cash reimbursement. Positive work ethics: At Ernst and Young employees are denied access to official mails when on a vacation. Team calendars that specify the deadlines are common feature at E&Y. The calendars also include personal commitments. The benefits are dual. For one, a person who needs to leave early for a family reunion gets the support from his team mates. Secondly, a person who doesn't list personal commitments is invariably invited for lunch or chances for a team gathering are high. Wellness Programmes: Qualified specialists can discuss with employees about their health concerns, stress management techniques regarding work overload. The CEO too can address teams and talk about stress-free workplaces and their impact on performance. Counseling by psychiatrists can help deal with workaholics better. Workaholism can be dealt with patiently at all levels. Employees prone to overworking must develop hobbies, social life and nuture relationships. Most importantly, turn off the cell phone when its your time off!
1 comment:
Good job buddy!!
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