Why do the majority of people when asked the question – “how’s work?” – respond with the stock standard answer – “busy”? The response usually sounds like it is pre-programmed, almost automatic. If you don’t believe me, ask five people you know! It is as if they believe there is no other acceptable answer to this simple question. Without being aware of it, they have probably been responding the same way for years, if not decades. Is it self-protection or something else? Are they actually “busy” all the time?
A friend of mine who is the partner in a large professional services firm told me he is expected to make personal billings of 7 hours per day. On top of that, he must run and develop his specific partnership which includes several other staff. I asked him how that is even possible. He told 
me he has to work 12 hours per day (minimum) to bill 7 hours of personal billings. If he doesn’t his performance will eventually be scrutinised by the other partners. So he puts in 65-70 hours per week to earn the big bucks and keep his job. He’s a busy guy, working in line with a business model that has some flaws. All business models that exchange time for money have the same problems. The reason is that time is finite. Sooner or later you can’t or won’t work 70 hours per week, no matter how attractive the financial rewards are. You either break the system or it breaks you. Mostly, it breaks you. You leave (hopefully with a bag of money) and a new younger version slots into your place.
Now let’s get back to the original question – how’s work? – let’s change this around for a moment and instead ask “have you done something specific in the past month that has had a significant positive impact on your company?” You can’t answer “I’m busy” because that’s not what’s being asked. More than that though, you’re being asked what have you achieved. If a month is too short, extend the time frame to 3 or 6 months. If you need longer than this, you need to closely review what you have been working on.
Being busy does not mean that you are actually producing anything of value. The reality is that you may or may not be busy. The real issue is what output you are producing and whether it makes a difference.
While time is limited, there is usually enough time to get the important things done well. Where problems emerge is when you get interrupted or distracted by less important matters that you CHOOSE to deal with before the ones that count. Do this for long enough and you’ll sight of what is important and what is not.
The business of being busy is not good business. Instead of asking – “how’s work?” – ask “what have you done lately and did it make a difference?” This should straighten up your efforts and allow you to get more done in less time. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you can honestly answer the “how’s work” question with something other than “I’m busy.”
About the Author: The Bull. The Bull is a Melbourne based entrepreneur and businessman who writes for uncluttered white spaces from time to time. The Bull works with organization both large and small on strategy, business, coaching and performance management and is regarded as one of the leading experts in retail in Australia. We will be writing a lot more about the Bull in the coming weeks. To contact the Bull, leave a post on the wall.
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you’re spot on that “busy” has become the stock standard response to that question. which is why i rarely start conversations on that topic like that anymore – that answer is not to the question i’m asking – we’re almost always busy, it’s taken for granted! have another go at the answering the question please!
it’s a bit like how people reflexively say “hi Anthony, how are you?” when they answer the phone (in a business context). are you seriously expecting me to answer anything other than “yeah, good thanks”? i rarely feel like answering it, nor in reciprocating the question. it’s not that i don’t care, but i’ve called for a reason and just want to get on with providing you with the service you’re paying me for, so when the answer is almost certainly going to be the automatic “yeah, good thanks”, why bother? but people often think i’m a bit of an antisocial so-n-so when i say things like this, so just pretend i didn’t. i’m fine, thanks
the number of working hours per week seems to have had a bit of media coverage recently. various talking heads have suggested Australia has one of the highest hours/week statistics. i can’t speak for the veracity of these damned statistics, but i do see this alot. as a self-employed one-man-band, my income is inextricably linked to how many hours i put in, and the number of hours i put in is largely determined by how often my phone rings, or other seasonal factors inherent to my client’s businesses. but for the “employed”, a different equation is at work.
i had dinner last night with a mate who’s at mid-management level of a long-haul network infrastructure provider employing about 125 people. he says his team of 8 are working minimum 20 hours overtime per week, with trivial compensation for that overtime. he also somehow manages to volunteer alot of time trying to breath life back into the Sydney chapter of JCI. but the cost of an extra 4 staff would equate to about half a million per year and the budget just isn’t there to support that growth yet. so somehow, 8 do the work of 12. for what? for whose benefit? the promise of ongoing employment? what else? they can’t all move up the ladder in a timely manner within the same organisation! though i understand that if one of them doesn’t comply, that one probably won’t move up!
so how’s work? busy! why? i don’t know. all i see is a business living on the borrowed time and good will, and the externality of employee stress & the impact that sooner or later has on the employee’s broader life (which more often than not comes back to bite the employer in the form of decreased performance, mistakes, down/sick-time, staff churn, or worse). but this is hardly an isolated story; that i know from my own observations, and from talking heads on TV. but who’ll be the first Australian business (in their market) to put their hand up & say “we need to make an adjustment here, costs may need to go up a bit”?
Hi Marie – thanks for your great feedback.I guess I have always tried to make my posts thought provoking but not too prescriptive (as much as you can in 400 words!). The point I’m trying to make with the “how’s work?” versus “what have you have done lately” questions is that the latter is not really a literal question (you’re right, you can’t walk around the office asking it – there would be a revolt, or at best everyone would look at you strangely) – the words are not as important as the mind shift required to move from “being busy” to spending the same time making a difference. Making a difference is a lot more empowering (and enjoyable) than just being busy. How an organisation communicates and motivates its people to make the shift is an individual cultural matter for it to decide. So I think we’re probably saying the same thing, albeit in a different way.
I love the Bull’s posts. I share them among my workmates and they always create interesting dialogue and discussion.The latest one seems a bit harsh to me, however. Can you imagine walking around the office and asking “What have you done lately, and did it make a difference?” I guess that speaks to values, culture, and one’s views on people in general.
I have always espoused “theory y” as an approach to managing and understanding what motivates (most) people. The Bull’s view is more in the x camp. It’s an interesting perspective and maybe I’m interpreting his words a little too literally. In any event keep them coming, they are always challenging the norm!
Way back in the 90’s I left the private practice of law after 8 years of painstakingly “docketing” my units of time and I do not miss that! A few of my pals are still at the large firms – the idea of a gracious retirement ( after several decades of tough slugging) where they bring in the clients and their juniors do the work will never come to pass. It seems to me that they continue to be measured by the hours they docketed last week.
The ol “Oh yeah I’m really busy” has become more than tiresome and I quite like your suggestion.