Apparently I smile too much, my boss summoned me to discuss that I didn’t look to be busy. While he assured me that there was nothing delayed or undone, I didn’t APPEAR to be too stressed, which was a major obstacle. I clarified what busy people look like because, as a matter of fact, I had a lot on my plate these days.
So, I learnt that ‘true doers’ walk fast, smile less and perhaps carry papers. After politely agreeing to do just that more mindfully, I returned to my workload, which apparently I had made to look worryingly easy.
Somehow, we have been brainwashed into believing, that unless you can smell sweat, blood and tears, our work is not worth much. There was a director I knew, who would calculate an annual bonus based on extra hours put in by team members.
So, to see your gratuity, you stretch out the workload to last couple of extra hours every day, appearing busy, and here it is — you get a prize! In my eyes, I never saw this team very happy, since their value was not measured by efficiency or quality of what they delivered, just the hours they put in.
Paying you for having fun
And of course, work is not meant to be easy-going, nobody is going to pay you for having fun! I always felt sorry for these girls, keeping their heads down, not to be found smiling at their desk, that could potentially cost you the bonus, despite the extra hours of toiling.
I know this is not an isolated story, I have come across this repeatedly in the corporate world. Personally, I have always rejected this mentality, and I guess got into trouble once or twice as result of having created an environment that is too lighthearted for the company to digest.
So, if there is any right and wrong here, what is the way to make everybody happy? Is sitting in front of the computer for longer hours than contractually required a true evidence of how serious we are at our jobs? Since when is delivering results not good enough?
Personally, I always tried to create fun surroundings at work, mostly it was upbeat and easy going in my department. As a result I usually found that even the lowest paid members of my team often stayed behind to complete their tasks if needed and did so with a spring in their step.
Happy people are more creative
They stood behind me beyond what was stipulated in their contract, never afraid to share their ideas on improving the work we do. I always find that happy people are more creative and get things done with ease. Is it just me?
I recently shared my thoughts with a friend who has worked hard all her life. She has had a remarkable career and I respect her views as a general rule. However, find it hard to swallow that she believes for everyone in a senior role, putting in longer hours is an absolute must and the only way to lead by example. But what example is that? Perhaps that if you reach the top, you lose the right to your private life?
While I do agree that there are times when one needs to put in an extra effort, I wouldn’t want to create another generation of workaholics, believing that hard labour and long hours is the way to earn your success.
Perhaps everybody should just be allowed to find their own way without being judged for how they deliver their results, as long as they do deliver these results. What is wrong with having fun at work and completing your tasks within your contractual working hours as a general rule?
I have struggled long and hard and questioned my own abilities because I always do seem to have fun at work. I truly love what I do and try to share my passion with the team, my knowledge with my clients and my extra time too, if it is truly required.
I know that I deliver results, but because I generally do so with a smile, I somehow found myself wondering that perhaps there is something I AM missing — the part where one needs to sweat to earn their daily bread. I have come out at the other end of this journey and decided that I will now on handle my job without any quilt, allowing myself to be creative and have fun because I believe we, humans, just function better this way!
Kairi Aun is a professional based in the UAE
