Zoom exhaustion. Meetings whose only outcome is the setting of another meeting. Mindless ass-kissing. Full work days that are spent on making dumb presentations to top management when you could’ve just said ‘no’ and let them get on Facebook to read all the shit customer reviews about the company.
I’m sure these are problems that expand beyond marketing and advertising. But I keep thinking how we could get more done or even better, take more time out for ourselves, if these senseless work practices are done away with.
So, if you are in a position to stop the unnecessary sadism, do it. Let people be productive, go home worry-free because they can finish work within office hours, and do whatever that relaxes them. This way, they will work again the next day with the enthusiasm that gets work done better.
If you are a victim of these things, try saying these magic words;
“Can we try _________ instead? I’ve read on this awesome newsletter that ____________ can make us hate your face less.”
Without further ado, here are the 04 things you do at work that can make you unfuckable to your significant other.
01. Have too many meetings
Whether it’s on zoom or it’s physical, meetings take away from the time you have to be productive. It is the one way to make sure loud people are heard. But people who are not fast reflexive thinkers who might be able to add value will not be able to contribute. It’s the number one productivity and creativity killer.
At Fudge, we try not to have meetings. When we do, we timebox it so that everyone stays on topic. And no meeting goes without actionable steps and responsibilities given to those who are involved. To engage everyone, everyone at Fudge uses online documents and presentations where everyone can comment their thoughts OR have a discussion on our whatsapp group.
02. Try to take control where you shouldn’t
I started out my advertising career in account management. Back then account managers were called many names (‘Glorified Peon’ was the most used). Something that they weren’t called out for, is sometimes wanting to please everyone involved in the process.
Pleasing everyone means taking control over every aspect of a process, even those that are outside your control. Not having control over things you you don’t have control over, can often be internalized as a lack of skill on your part. This leads to anxiety, which leads to depression, which leads to burn out.
I’ve burnt out multiple times for this same reason. One thing I’ve always noticed is that the people whom you tried to please so hard, will get on with business as usual (as they should). However, your recovery from burnout will take time, and often be misconstrued as something else.
03. Try to figure out what boss wants
This is something I’ve heard too many times than I care to admit: “Our directors think like this, so we will have to give them this”. Forcing yourself and other people to think like someone higher up the ranks, is just an invitation to limit the quality of your work.
(A) It links back to your wanting to please everyone. (B) It’s just lazy thinking. To clients / peers who tell me this, I usually respond with two questions: (1) Why did they hire someone with your skill/experience if they just wanted to replicate the existing thinking within the company? (2) What does that tell you about yourself?
04. Timesheets
As someone who makes a living from creative thinking, timesheets are the ultimate slap in the face for me. I can’t confine my thinking within work hours. Am I going to charge you overtime for the work my brain does when I’m asleep? (Some of my best ideas happened in my sleep).
Replace timesheets with trust. I can’t speak on everyone’s behalf but I know for a fact that creative professionals and timesheets don’t make much sense together.
What are the other things you do at work that doesn’t make any sense to you?