Good morning,
Monday. I'm sleepy and did spin this morning and my legs felt like straight up
LEAD. Ugh. Maybe I should have slept in...
This weekend was beautiful in the city, and we took lots of walks with Khan, spent time with friends, and shopped at our local farmers market. Not a bad weekend- super chill and I even got to read the paper, a Sunday ritual that can sometimes get overlooked in the melee of modern life.
I read with great interest the thought piece in the NY Times called "Why You Hate Work". I laughed at first at how appropriate the article was, appearing in the Sunday paper and such. For many, Sunday night is only lovely because of TV programming (holy shizz GOTS by the way). For most, the prospect of Monday morning "back to it" is anything but a lovefest. That's unfortunate, and like many of you, I yearn for that to change.
I work in an industry where people are expected to work hours that are infamously cuckoo, and many other fields are just as nuts if not worse. I have always wondered if working all night makes the work better, and to me, it just doesn't. I understand fully that that's how "creative" people work, but at what price to everyone else who is just trying to be productive and stay sane and sound?
We all know that keeping physically fit and eating well are two huge topics on everyone's minds- with the way we work, it seems out of reach for most of us to even get to the gym. I have to go at 6 am if I want to get it done, because by the end of the day, I'm not in any shape to get on any kind of machine and run for my life- after all, I most likely ran for my life all day. In a different way. I'm just tired as could be, and I don't have kids. I'm not sure how you find time to do anything other than feed yourself and sleep when you have kids, if either of those are even an option. My point is- we can't be productive people if we have no time to take care of ourselves. If people worked a little less and were able to devote more time to some physical activity or cooking instead of eating microwave popcorn for dinner, perhaps we'd feel better.
As it stands, it's becoming quite clear that today's employers expect an awful lot from all of us- and though they're "investing" in their workforce by paying them a salary and giving them benefits (still paid for by the employee in most cases), I can't help but wonder what all of us get besides said paycheck and benefits? Many of us are past the point of building careers meaning we don't want to work 24/7/365, because we already have. To me, the work relationship is a two way investment- if someone is investing in hiring you, then you too are also investing in them- hoping that your dream job will yield tremendous satisfaction and utilization of your skills. I'm not sure why the workforce is asked to invest so much of themselves with so little of a return. Isn't that a bad investment after all? Oh, and this is not just for those at a higher level- why should the next gen of talent work like complete lunatics? It's not good for anyone, due paying or otherwise.
Here's five ways I think work should change to reflect who we've become:
Change the where. The way we live and work has completely changed, and as the article points out, digital communication is the biggest harbinger of shifts in the workplace that has taken place since the Industrial Revolution. And really, the word "revolution" is one we should consider employing- because we need a revolution when it comes to how we work. For instance, if a company wants folks to answer emails until they go to sleep, they should change the whole notion of where, as in where we work. I can only speak for myself and say I'd be much happier answering emails late at night if there were an option to work from home more often. That's a mutual investment that works- you agree to trust me enough to work from anywhere I want, and I will, in return, respond "after hours" if it's necessary from the comfort of my own home, or wherever else I may decide to plug in.
Change the how. Or if a company insists on having everyone live and in person, working hours should span a normal workday, full stop. If any of us are willing to deal with commuting and fighting crowds and buying lunch and sitting in cubicles, we should be able to pack our things at the end of the day and go enjoy the "rest" of our lives. I'm not sure why it's expected that the work day never ends- perhaps employers need to roam the halls less at 7 pm to see who's still at their desks and think more about implementing programs to help people be more productive during the day and work smarter so they don't have to give up their lives in pursuit of their jobs. It's all about investing in your employees here- and trust me, they're worth it.
Change the what. If work defines who we are (in this country anyway), then really, employers and companies should invest in keeping us healthier and happier. Just as the article points out, companies can take a cue from Silicon Valley (where the hours are brutal, ps) and incorporate perks like lunch or discounted food or build office gyms. I think companies should take the time to sponsor those things in an employee's life that make them feel healthy and whole- whether its hiring a trainer to help interested employees run a marathon (competitive spirit and a personal best mindset make better workers, and that's the truth) or allow for anything from sabbaticals (kudos to companies already doing this) to work free hours in the day where people can choose to take a nap or go to the gym or go get a haircut or go see their kid's recital or soccer game. Maybe the workplace could even become a model of "whole" life- from holding Farmers Markets to cooking classes to yoga. If companies could change the notion of what it means to come to work, perhaps that Sunday night anxiety would simply disappear.
Change the why. My favorite part of the Times piece was a call for more empathic and compassionate leadership at the top of the heap. Too often, today's workforce completes a task or assignment because they are scared to death what will happen if they don't. I think managers and executives need to exercise a culture of compassion and support vs. one of fear and paranoia. Maybe companies need CCOS, or Chief Compassion Officers. Work and life are harder than ever- showing some kindness and respect and mindful practice would go a long way. Oh, and doing something with purpose is so, so important. I feel today's workforce wonders "why am I doing this" way too often- we're a culture becoming more conscious of the stuff that matters- amidst so much tragedy and stress and constant bombardment of superficial BS. What we do and why we do it needs to matter a whole lot more, whether that means working for a company whose values align with yours, or doing work that feels less draining and more satisfying. I for one would only work full time again if I felt the company was in line with my values and work style and point of view.
Change the when. Ok so I understand, particularly in advertising, that the notion of being a 24/7/365 operation is very much desired and demanded by today's clients- I wonder if having people work in shifts is a better way to go, or in a broader sense- allow people to work when they want to work, as long as they can complete their projects in the desired timeframe. If someone is a salaried employee, what difference does it make "when" they work? Maybe some people are more productive between 11 am-8 pm. Maybe some prefer working at night. The whole agrarian clock is out the window anyway- I guarantee people would be happier and more productive if they made their own hours. When you give people freedom, they see things in a completely new way. I don't know about you, but I'd be willing to invest in a company (of my time and skills) if they let me work from where and when I wanted. Who could say no to that?
And yea, most of what I say is too radical for a work obsessed/stress envied/strung out workforce. I do think that the next gen of corporate raiders will not stand for such madness when it comes to how they work. What's more Darwinian than the evolution of work? Because to me, only the smart will survive. And being smart is what's missing from today's workplace, and I'm not talking about how high your IQ is or where your MBA is from.
And truly, the only way to really do any of the above is to WORK FOR YOURSELF. (That's the who bit I neglect to mention above).
That's what this article really showed- that working in today's workforce is well, a lot of work. If you’re going to toil away, I'd say toil for yourself if at all possible. You are your own best boss, you decide where and when to work, and you decide if what you're doing is really all worth it. I do think we are all in for a tremendous shift in how we work, and it can't come soon enough. The notion of working for oneself is a scary one, and for those of you who can't imagine life without a big company paycheck and benefits, perhaps the answer lies in channeling an entrepreneurial spirit at the office where you presently reside. When I worked at one of the coolest ad agencies in the world for a large chunk of my young life, I never, ever stopped and neither did anyone else. And yea, burnout was common and inevitable, and sure; stress on family life was common. But what was great about where I worked is that we all felt the buzz of a company who believed, at the time, in being indie, entrepreneurial, and scrappy. That you could be trusted to work from anywhere, at any time. That the company provided perks to sometimes make the stress a little less. But working for yourself is a pimp move- if you have the spirit, do it. There’s no substitute for being able to do it your way. Tis the season for success on one’s own terms.
And whether you have your own thing or work for someone else, when employees feel like they are investing in a company by giving their blood, sweat, and tears without reciprocity, things go decidedly South, and fast. My reco would be to go work for yourself if you can, or find a place to work that incorporates that vibe. It's where the future of work is headed, and for companies to survive and recruit the best and brightest, they need to make a major league shift in what work means today. Life’s just too short for being sad on Sunday nights, and not just because “Mad Men” doesn’t come back until 2015.
And that’s what’s up this workin’ it kind of Monday in the very busy 212. Yours, in paradigm shifts and revolution. Go be awesome. XO