I am an addict too.
Shiv Kumar, PCC
Head of Human Resources | Mental Health | Human Capital Consulting | Responsible Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
How are you doing?”, I asked; pat came the reply - “Very busy these days”.
Has “I am doing well” been replaced by - “I am busy”?
We are all addicts, this is perhaps the only addiction where you get medals instead of an intervention. It is like doing good job is meted with more work; a victory lap in an empty stadium - a sense of achievement, but only lonely! So, what are the late nights/weekend hours about? ?
It is ?the addiction you can brag about at company meetings and get praised for, not whispered about in hushed tones in the office corridors. But beneath the shiny surface of this socially accepted addictions lies a tangled web of psychological needs: the longing for validation, the fear of invisibility, and the eternal quest for.…..(fill in the blank using whatever your quest is for.)
Now, about our dear leaders who think vacations are for the weak-hearted :). I have never understood this and I consciously don’t wish to either. They make their appearances even when not really required - like a badge of honor, celebrating unrequired presence, thus propagating a culture of “you are not serious about your work if you ask for leave”. ??
Great! However, it may not be a medal of honor, but a cry for attention? Or, something else, I wonder! :)
?Then there’s the always-on culture. Getting emails at midnight and MS Teams pings during your partner’s birthday party? Seems our gadgets have turned into needy kids, always vying for attention with a beep here and a ping there.?
领英推荐
?Workaholism often dresses up as dedication. :)
Those accolades for working late? They are like getting a high score on a game’s leader board that nobody else is playing.?
?So, what if we started celebrating leaving on time like it is a major achievement? Imagine the standing ovations as you log off at 5 PM, or the gasps of awe when you actually use your vacation days. Sounds crazy? Let us rethink this script. Instead of being chained to our desks, let us find freedom in switching-off. Work is good, but have you tried unplugging!?
There is a whole world outside those office windows.
?Sorry! need to get back to my e-mails now. :D
HR Leader with Sr. Mgmt Expertise (views are personal)
8 个月Lovely read, and if I may add it is all the more baffling when in the same organisation their is a set of people who are ‘for’ this busyness and yet are able to unplug, accept themselves as humans aka social creatures, live, rejuvenate and get back on the task list contrary to the set (read functions/departments) who are perennially busy as if they are the life support system absence of which can’t be fathomed! And you bet this can give someone a run for life to understand what is the culture of the organisation! Sounds relatable Shiv Kumar!
IndusLaw - Employment law, POSH, ABAC, DEI
8 个月Interesting read - the myth of work/life balance
Executive and Life Coach (ICF ACC) | POSH & Performance Management Consultant | Leadership Facilitator | Mentor to women starting career| Founder – Manolaya | Ex Cargill | Ex Mphasis | Ex Pegasys Consulting, USA
8 个月The culture is passed on too if we don't keep ourselves in check I remember talking to a friend's child - a kindergartener a couple of years ago. Me: hey hi. How are you, how was your day Child: hectic and very busy ??
Vice President and Head - Global Communications, DEI & CSR, Leadership Council Member @ AXA GBS Grateful that I do what I love. Storyteller. Brand Builder. Mom.
8 个月Knock knock. Are you busy? Or are you doing well?
Head of Background Check - India and APAC I Goldman Sachs I HCM I Risk I Strategy I BGC Operations I People Management | MHFA Certified
8 个月On point ! Can’t help but bring in the recent proposals of increased work hours ( in Karnataka) .Such a counter strategy this is to keeping people motivated, engaged , mentally healthy and productive- , as a society we have normalised and are encouraging “workaholism “ and rewarding people for it. - have we thought about how blatant we are in our expression of “very busy these days” and how subtle we choose to become when we talk about taking a much deserved vacation. Sad reality of today’s world.