Being busy doesn't make you special, so lay off the drama
Being 'busy' is a common refrain in the workplace, with some people clutching so hard to the descriptor that it's basically part of their personality. But – and here's the harsh reality – everyone is busy. Every single one of us has too many items on our to-do list, we've all got places to go and there are dozens of open tabs in our brains that are clamouring for our attention.
Yet, some people still fall willingly into the trap of 'busyness', wearing it like a badge that sets them apart from everyone else. Every workplace has this strain of colleague who thrives on the perception they are always working too hard and are under the pump.
There's a name for this too: 'productivity theatre', which means performing actions that make you seem like you're doing things, even if it doesn't contribute meaningfully to any business outcomes.
Examples of this include attending unnecessary meetings when you don't really need to be there or spending way too much time on admin tasks instead of prioritising the important ones.
Recent research of US-based workers by software company Visier found that more than 40 per cent of employees spent more than 10 hours a week on things that could be called productivity theatre.
You're not special just because you don't know how to effectively manage your workload.
It's only too easy to get caught in the whir of being constantly busy, as it makes you feel important when everything's urgent, and you believe you're the only one who can solve it. It's also incredibly draining to feel busy all the time, and is one of the contributing factors to burnout.
So how can you escape from this cult of busyness if you find yourself getting sucked into its vortex?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
a minute ago
- ABC News
Live: Market awaits European rates decision, Nasdaq hits record close
Crisis? What crisis? Despite tariff turmoil, interest rate conjecture and geopolitical ructions, stock markets in Australian and the US are notching record highs. Follow the day's financial news and insights from our specialist business reporters on our live blog. Disclaimer: this blog is not intended as investment advice.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
As suitors circle Healthscope, its management mulls a different path
The sales process for Healthscope's failed private hospital business kicks off in earnest this Monday with up to 30 potential suitors due to file their tentative offers for its 37 Australian hospitals, employing 19,000 staff nationally. But the non-binding offers won't include a bid from Healthscope's current management, who are contemplating a scheme to convert the company into a not-for-profit entity. It would mirror the resurrection of Australia's largest child care provider Goodstart Early learning, from the ashes of the collapsed ABC Learning empire, as a not-for-profit provider. Healthscope insiders have confirmed reports in the Australian Financial Review last week that its chief executive, Tino La Spina, is working on the plan as an alternative to a sale of the business to either commercial interests or other Australian not-for-profit operators like St Vincent's Health Australia. Healthscope declined to comment. People with knowledge of the proposal, who are not authorised to discuss the matter, confirmed that the plans are not advanced enough to put in a non-binding indicative offer by the Monday, July 21 deadline. But La Spina's team have been consulting with the receivers from McGrathNicol who are managing the sale, with a view to putting in a proposal during the second stage of the sales process where interested parties are expected to lodge binding offers for the business. This includes local not-for-profit operators, ASX-listed Ramsay Health Care, privately owned Healthe Care and a potential debt-for-equity swap that could see lenders like UK-based Polus Capital take control. The receivers are acting for lenders which are owed $1.7 billion, according to documents lodged with the corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Australia's Big Four banks are among the lenders which will be hit with significant losses as the sales price is not expected to get anywhere near what is owed to them. The debt includes $52 million owed to the former owner, Canadian financial giant, Brookfield, which had $2 billion in equity wiped out when the group collapsed into administration earlier this year.
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
As suitors circle Healthscope, its management mulls a different path
The sales process for Healthscope's failed private hospital business kicks off in earnest this Monday with up to 30 potential suitors due to file their tentative offers for its 37 Australian hospitals, employing 19,000 staff nationally. But the non-binding offers won't include a bid from Healthscope's current management, who are contemplating a scheme to convert the company into a not-for-profit entity. It would mirror the resurrection of Australia's largest child care provider Goodstart Early learning, from the ashes of the collapsed ABC Learning empire, as a not-for-profit provider. Healthscope insiders have confirmed reports in the Australian Financial Review last week that its chief executive, Tino La Spina, is working on the plan as an alternative to a sale of the business to either commercial interests or other Australian not-for-profit operators like St Vincent's Health Australia. Healthscope declined to comment. People with knowledge of the proposal, who are not authorised to discuss the matter, confirmed that the plans are not advanced enough to put in a non-binding indicative offer by the Monday, July 21 deadline. But La Spina's team have been consulting with the receivers from McGrathNicol who are managing the sale, with a view to putting in a proposal during the second stage of the sales process where interested parties are expected to lodge binding offers for the business. This includes local not-for-profit operators, ASX-listed Ramsay Health Care, privately owned Healthe Care and a potential debt-for-equity swap that could see lenders like UK-based Polus Capital take control. The receivers are acting for lenders which are owed $1.7 billion, according to documents lodged with the corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Australia's Big Four banks are among the lenders which will be hit with significant losses as the sales price is not expected to get anywhere near what is owed to them. The debt includes $52 million owed to the former owner, Canadian financial giant, Brookfield, which had $2 billion in equity wiped out when the group collapsed into administration earlier this year.
