The zone of getting things done
MSNBC reports on how Americans are increasingly imposing 70+ hour work weeks on themselves to stay competitive at the workplace. This is happening cross-industry which matches my anecdotal experience. I have friends in finance, law and technology for whom working ridiculous hours is considered part of the accepted culture.
This is dumb. There’s no way anyone in an information processing job can be productive for that many hours a week for any significant stretch of time. Places that foster this type of behavior are actively encouraging burnout, especially from their most junior employees. After all, it’s those with the least outside experience who will be most eagerly try to sync up with such a company culture.
Yes, there will always be crunch time. And when you find yourself in that zone of getting things done, it’s worth riding the wave regardless of the hour. But it’s not sustainable for weeks at a time. And in the long run, companies that don’t make time-off a guilt-free part of the culture will cripple themselves.
Source: http://blog.obvious.com
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