F.R.E.T. – fanciful representation of exaggerated tale
The Merriam-webster dictionary app on my phone (which thankfully works without an internet connection) defines a tale as a story about imaginary events. I think that definition would work for pretty much everything some people say about their work.
Let’s face it guys – most people do not have work that stresses them out. And most of the people who actually do, will effectively pass it on to others (btw, that is a different skill you will have to learn over your corporate life). At best there are very short periods where you willl be dumped with a lot of work which wouldn’t be that stressful if you are able to get it into your head that you have enough time to do it. So, there really is no reason to fret.
Let’s look at investment banking, the classical industry with not enough hours to complete your work in a day. Now there are two types of investment bankers – the ones who meet clients and the ones who don’t. Regardless of which one you are you will spend a large part of your time networking; not with clients but within your organisation and world of ibankers to get a better job or a better position with a better pay. Now this is not your job; so while you may fret about not having enough time because of this, it is not because you have too much work to do. I mean you basically make ppts or present them. You have An entirely different team which does the research. Why are you so stressed out while copy pasting information, we did that everyday at B-school!
Even ibankers can be forgiven. What is worse is for someone from marketing to be stressed out. Really? I mean really? I really thought the work must be stressful until I met my boss. He travels 3 to 4 days a week. And has a working lunch in a meeting the few days he is in office. And he is never stressed. Never frets. He just gets things done. Conversations with him are epic:
Boss: so we need this to be live by January. So we will do a pilot through December.
Me: yeah. I will need to do extensive field visits first. And then we will have to get together and figure out the model by November mid at least.
Boss: yeah. I guess it will take you around 60 days to understand the market and get the needs. That itself will hit December.
Me: yeah. But I think I won’t have enough time for the pilot then.
Boss (smiles) : we ll figure it out. Draw up a plan. We ll see how we can work it out. We’ll do the pilot in December.
No stress. No fretting. No worrying. Just plain work. I think this is a trait most people don’t have. To be able to look at the goal and figure out the plan. Instead they just start freaking out.
But the truth is. Most bosses and senior management expect you to be stressed out. If you are able to relax at office we are obviously not utilizing you enough they say. Fair enough. But being relaxed can be due to two reasons. One is of course that you have piled me with work and are “utilizing” my time efficiently. Two is – I AM FUCKING GOOD AT MY JOB. Why do I have to take the arduously long inefficient hours the average guy takes!!!
Like this guy:
Me: hey what’s up?
Him: dude. Don’t disturb am so stressed out today.
Me: lots of work, eh?
Him: bday in my dept dude. I have to buy cake. Where do I order? How? Will it come?
Me: you are stressed for this. ( trying very hard not to roll my eyes and get a conical cap with a D on it for this guy )
Him: dude its a logistics issue
Me: you have an MBA…..
Let’s buy cake. No. Wait. Let’s have a meeting about that first.
MisManagement Chronicles 