Comments on: Slacking Your Way Through A Recession

By: Bamboozled

Bamboozled — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 12:26:22 +0000

Thanks so much for contradicting the received wisdom that working yourself to death will make you indispensable. Companies don’t really value worker drones, they are a dime a dozen. It is other ineffable qualities that are most likely to save you, or help you move on. All you get for working harder is more work! And if that is all that a company values, time to move on.

By: Ash Groun

Ash Groun — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:10:27 +0000

I've read your blog, which is really interesting. I've got a question for you. In this recession, I think its pretty good to have a job. But what if your co-workers are frankly brats and decide not to talk to you? This is a mature financial company in which the IT group I am in are children, so it suprises me that they will act this way even in a resession.

By: David Christiansen

David Christiansen — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:58:15 +0000

I believe in the idea in a general sort of way. I always have taken the approach that there is a difference between what we say we do as an organization and what we actually do. Knowing what we actually do is much more important than knowing what we say we do (process). In fact, I would frequently test the “official” process by intentionally dropping the ball on items that seemed to be of little value. I never once got in trouble for this, and I soon realized that, at least in the organization I was in, there were lots and lots of stupid, useless activities I could skip without ever getting caught. By caught, I don’t mean that NOBODY noticed. Some people did. But it didn’t matter, at least not in my annual reviews or my conversations with my managers.

One thing to note: I believe I set the record for the lowest audit score of any project manager in our organization. I once got audit results in which I scored less than 1 point out of 100. It was, incidentally, the same year I got the best performance review, raise, and bonus, of my six years working in that organization. No one, aside from the auditor, ever mentioned that audit.

By: Dennis Gorelik

Dennis Gorelik — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:57:26 +0000

I mean "4-hour workweek" concept / blog, not the book itself.
Yes, I got familiar with the concept:
- Work smarter, not harder.
- 20% of work create 80% of results, sot it's just important to select important work and drop less efficient 80% of the work.
- Delegate if possible.

What do you think — it 4 hour workweek target realistic?

By: davidray

davidray — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:36:04 +0000

I haven't read it. Have you?

By: Dennis Gorelik

Dennis Gorelik — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:20:41 +0000

So, what do you think about "4-hour workweek" by Tim Ferris?
Does it make any sense to you?

By: davidray

davidray — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:21:05 +0000

I think there are at least two components to consider: being smart and working hard. If you are smarterER than average, you just have to work AS hard as the average Joe, IMO, to still be reviewed well. If you are not, you have to work hardER than average. Does that make sense? So yes, you can consistently be reviewed in the top 10% in corporate IT, but you will need to be smarter than about 90% of your peers.

By: Dennis Gorelik

Dennis Gorelik — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:43:24 +0000

What do you think — is it feasible to be above average level and work no more than 40 hours/week?
Under "work" I mean both work and learning.