How to "look busy" and keep your day job?

[hakrjak]

One of my co-workers came to me recently and asked me for advice. He said that the boss had approached him and explained that he doesn't seem to be working as hard as the rest of his co-workers, and he wants to see more from him.

To give you guys some background, there are about 100 of us that report to 1 guy who barely has time to talk to us except once every 2-3 months, so I have no idea how this guy collects his feedback or information, but somehow he does. My buddy knows that I have been with the company for 12 years and have mastered the art of looking busy, while also flying under the radar to not direct too much attention to myself.

I thought I would open this up for discussion, since I know there must be hundreds of fastlaners here who do enough not to get fired during their day jobs so they can focus their efforts on their side businesses and true passions.

How do you "look busy" at your job? Tips? Tricks?

- Hakrjak

 

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[hakrjak]

Here are a couple to get us started:

I've sometimes swore by the "George Constanza" rule (Seinfeld).... If someone approaches you in the office, or walks past you in the hallway -- Look as angry and stressed out as you possibly can. By doing this you will:

1). Convince everyone that you are so busy you can hardly take it

2). Convince people not to try to give you any MORE work, because you are booked solid

Also:

I like to block out the entire morning and afternoon of my outlook calendar, so when the boss looks to book me into meetings, he sees that half my day is booked almost every single day. This gives me time to focus (Come in late, leave early, whatever) -- While making sure nobody books me too early or too late. My co-workers comment often how booked I am, and how they don't envy my position in the company! LOL

 

[PEERless]

Master tabbed browsing, strategic window-minimizing, late-night E-mails, etc. Stack spreadsheets haphazardly on your desk. Make a friend in IT to discover your company's snooping methods.

 

[Runum]

I always liked to stay out of eyesight but I think that works against you. I would think you would want to be visible and always have a folder of important business papers in your hand. Always be walking with a purpose, long strides. Have a look of focus on your face, maybe focus on those important papers in your hand. Also, carry those papers in your right hand so that if someone wants to shake your hand you have to switch the papers to the left hand, calling attention to the important papers.

 

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[hakrjak]

Man that is priceless!

That's right up there with carrying a briefcase to work (Even if it's got nothing in it but crackers), and dressing in better clothes than all of your co-workers. There's just something about someone who wears polo shirts in a room full of guys in t-shirts, or suits in a room full of polo shirt wearing people, ya know?

Keep em coming!!!!!!!!!!

How about inventing / completing projects that make you look good? Anybody have any ideas on how to do that effectively? :smxA:

- Hakrjak

 

[Sid23]

I like to save up calls I need to make...and then make them specifically when I know my boss is within earshot. It looks to him like I'm really making things happen - I'm always on the phone and our receptionist takes lots of messages for me around that time because people are calling me back...it gives the impression I'm working like that all day, every day.

Then when's he's out at meetings, etc I do all the other fastlane biz building that I need to.

And I have stacks of papers scattered all over my desk. Some haven't moved in months, but I'm the only one that knows that. Gives the impression of always being busy.

Kind of makes me feel a little guilty. Haha.

 

[SteveO]

Jeez Hak... The proof is in the pudding... RESULTS!!!

 

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[hatterasguy]

I'm lucky, right now my day job is my business.

Read Dilbert for ideas on how to avoid work.

 

[Nathan]

As already said, being on the phone is always a good one. It doesn't matter if it's your wife, they don't know that. Unless they're standing there waiting for you to get off and you're talking about what you're picking up at the store after work. But look like you're working on the computer, or writing something down, while on the phone. Works like a champ. It's almost a deterent. People think there's work for them on the other side of the phone and cut out quick.

Also, don't ever be seen standing there talking to people at their offices/cubes. If laughing or joking, even if it is work, just looks like you're doing absolutely nothing.

Make yourself scarce at times. If you're not talking to people are the office that they can see, and you're not in your office, you must be busy. It works in IT really well. Out "fixing" stuff.

And definitely as already said, ALWAYS look stressed, and never have time for anyone. Sometimes skip lunches with the group because you have "too much" work. Then go an hour later.

 

[Jill]

How about inventing / completing projects that make you look good? Anybody have any ideas on how to do that effectively?

As an independent contractor, I often see the same type requests over and over again from different clients. So in anticipation, I'll oftentimes offer to do something that "I think might help the team" that I already have on a flash drive that looks like it would take 30 hours to produce. . . Of course, I would never bill for hours that I don't actually work , but you get the idea. We call it "leveraging the collateral" - a simple exercise in Find/Replace!!. LOL.

The elementary stuff is around email. Log on remotely as soon as you wake up and start firing off urgent emails as if you've been up for hours worrying about it. If you're in charge of a concall, schedule it early like 7a or late like 5p to reinforce the notion that you're just too busy to do it any other time. Then of course, log on and send a few emails from your blackberry while you're at happy hour. CAUTION:

1) Disable the "Sent from my Blackberry" message and
2) Send them BEFORE your third drink!!

 

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[JesseO]

I prefer to work hard and be available when the boss man calls. Just do your work and do it as complete and fast as possible, and your boss (if competent) will see what you're doing and how you're doing it. If you've got one boss to 100 people, then there's a management issue I would think. In any case, do your work, and do it well is my opinion. I would rather see a payoff than a slack off.

 

[Jito]

This thread is comedy....great suggestions...

 

[Rawr]

Jeez Hak... The proof is in the pudding... RESULTS!!!

Thank you.

Seems like a lot of people need to look for more rewarding and satisfying jobs.

 

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[kimberland]

I get paid for results, not time.
As long as I can show results,
the paycheck signers don't care
how many posts I make on the fastlane
(grinning).

Sounds like a lot of work pretending to be busy.
Wouldn't it make more sense simply to BE busy?
'Cause working efficiently is a habit.

 

[hakrjak]

Sure its best to actually be busy and do a good job, but for some bosses that is simply not enough. This thread is for how to deal with those bosses that want the symbolism over the substance. Guys who don't care how good the results are, they want to feel like you are always working hard even when you've earned some downtime, etc.

I find this to be the case with bosses who are ex-military and have a command & control mindset. Seems like they are more concerned with looking around and seeing people busy than the actual results.

Cheers,

- Hakrjak

 

[Runum]

Yep, it's the game called office politics. Results don't matter as much as perception.

 

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[hakrjak]

Yep, it's the game called office politics. Results don't matter as much as perception.

Exactly. Boss's play favorites based on a lot more than the quality of your work.

- Hakrjak

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Sounds like a lot of you work in cubicle rich environments!

 

[Jill]

I'm paid for time, not just results. If I can produce the same amount of results in less time (because I'm leveraging products that I've produced elsewhere - at no cost to current client), then I have to try harder to look busy. I'll often volunteer to help others with their projects, which ingratiates me to the whole team. So no one looks cross-eyed at me if I decide to spend my "coffee break" posting to the Fastlane.

 

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[hakrjak]

Sounds like a lot of you work in cubicle rich environments!

Virtual cubicle here, which can make it even tougher to appear busy sometimes since the boss can't walk up behind me with a cup of coffee and say, "Mmmmm, Hakrjak.... what exactly would you say that you DO here? *slurp* *slurp*"

lol,

- Hakrjak

 

[Rawr]

Yep, it's the game called office politics. Results don't matter as much as perception.

I can think of a few ways to get on your bosses good side. Round of golf + alcohol might do the trick.

 

[DevX]

If you really have to deal with putting up a pretense of looking busy to maintain the job, you're propagating the workerbee lifestyle.

Maybe you ought to just give up on the pretense and force your boss to fire you for not being a 'company man'. It might be the best thing that ever happened in kicking your a$$ into the fast lane.

 

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[hakrjak]

Eh... As tempting as that sounds -- My fastlane plans don't take up more than 20% of my week right now, so why not use the other time to earn a good income and have health insurance for the family? Having a W2 income with good work history also helps with getting loans & credit. I know some people have launched without a day job (i.e. JScott) -- but he had hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to kick off his venture, and I still do not -- One of the best things I got from reading all of those Kiyosaki books was the concept of "Minding your own business" -- Or starting your business on the side while you still work for the man.

- Hakrjak :fastlane:

 

[hawaiiloans]

I've always wondered about this. I used to get tasks done as soon as possible, so the boss would think wow he's working fast and efficiently. Only problem is I'd look like I'm not working, because I get things done so quickly.

It discourages quick efficient work, and encourages "just enough" results. Now I take twice or 3 times as long and I don't get called to do extra work. Weird.

 

[AroundTheWorld]

I read this thread with a whole different perspective.... as I employ people.

Biggest things I take from this thread (as an employer) are:

Pay for the job, not the time.
Build in some incentives - try to find a way to get the employee actually care about the company
Focus on results

 

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[Runum]

There is a difference when a person works for a family owned business and working for a publicly held company. What I have found is that work in a big corp is mostly perception. You have to please your immediate boss and be of value to him. You have to play the office politics to survive. You need to make your boss look good.

In a small, family business it's both perception and results. The owners can't afford not to have results, but they can't afford to have someone that doesn't get along as well. Also, in a small business you are more heavily scrutinized because the owner is always around.

 

[Jill]

Agree with you both, Runum and ATW. I also employ folks in a home-based business as well as independent contractors who do work around the house for us. They are all paid for performance - not time.

In my "JOB", I am paid an hourly wage. BUT, my job is to bring a project in on time, on budget and make my "boss" (hiring manager/project sponsor) look good by hopefully bringing it in ahead of time and under budget! If they paid us JUST for the results, tho, none of us would ever go to meetings, as it is usually a completely inefficient waste of time, yet a time-honored tradition in corporate America. It's a weird fusion of self-employment married to the corporate world.

 

[hakrjak]

Agree that when I hire people I pay for the job, or give bonuses for performance benchmarks, etc...

For those of you that have never worked in the "Corporate" world, or for a Fortune 500 company -- Let me just confirm the statements above, that is a whole different world than you have ever entered in your life.

If you are a successful business owner, or self employeed person -- You would probably never survive in a Fortune 500. It sucks the life out of you, kills your motivation -- and destroys any perception you might have started with that the business world is fair and fun.

After 10 years in, you'll come out exactly like Peter in the movie "Office Space" (I get accused of being him regularly! haha)

- Hakrjak

 

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[hakrjak]

I thought I'd follow up that little rant with an example of corporate life that will knock your socks off:

First 3 years of my career with the company I work for today:
I worked very hard, was recognized for my accomplishments and supposedly "Fastracked" for upper management. After 3 years of asking where the money / promotion were, my division was sold off to another company and I lost my "Fasttrack" and ended up working under a totally different group of people who had no idea who I was or what I had accomplished.

Next 2 years....
I worked hard to rebuild my stellar reputation, but it was hard because the new group of people I worked under that I had be "sold" to didn't know me, and they were all a part of their own click. They helped each other out, but not the new guy -- and had no motivation to do so...

After rotting there for 2 years, the next 3 years....
Out of total bitterness, I did absolutely nothing for 3 years, and I mean NOTHING. I didn't even get out of bed before noon each day, and I never went to the office... I spoke to my boss maybe once every 3-4 months, and just waited for the axe to fall. Funny thing is, it never did -- and I didn't get fired, I actually got PROMOTED! ("You're a straight shooter Hakrjak, with upper management written all over you!" I was told...) -- Huh? I am not kidding!

Last 2 years....
So the last 2 years, I've tried hard to motivate myself to accomplish great things with my new position, but I just don't feel like I'm the same person I was 10 years ago... Corporate America changed me, and made me into a bitter human being -- with only one motivation now, which is to GET OUT! I do what I need to do to keep the job and keep the paychecks rolling in, but 100% of my side energy is focussed on getting my own thing going so that I can escape one day soon...

 

[Runum]

I thought I'd follow up that little rant with an example of corporate life that will knock your socks off:

First 3 years of my career with the company I work for today:
I worked very hard, was recognized for my accomplishments and supposedly "Fastracked" for upper management. After 3 years of asking where the money / promotion were, my division was sold off to another company and I lost my "Fasttrack" and ended up working under a totally different group of people who had no idea who I was or what I had accomplished.

Next 2 years....
I worked hard to rebuild my stellar reputation, but it was hard because the new group of people I worked under that I had be "sold" to didn't know me, and they were all a part of their own click. They helped each other out, but not the new guy -- and had no motivation to do so...

After rotting there for 2 years, the next 3 years....
Out of total bitterness, I did absolutely nothing for 3 years, and I mean NOTHING. I didn't even get out of bed before noon each day, and I never went to the office... I spoke to my boss maybe once every 3-4 months, and just waited for the axe to fall. Funny thing is, it never did -- and I didn't get fired, I actually got PROMOTED! ("You're a straight shooter Hakrjak, with upper management written all over you!" I was told...) -- Huh? I am not kidding!

Last 2 years....
So the last 2 years, I've tried hard to motivate myself to accomplish great things with my new position, but I just don't feel like I'm the same person I was 10 years ago... Corporate America changed me, and made me into a bitter human being -- with only one motivation now, which is to GET OUT! I do what I need to do to keep the job and keep the paychecks rolling in, but 100% of my side energy is focussed on getting my own thing going so that I can escape one day soon...

I hear ya man. 8 years in a MAJOR oil field services company here. The only thing that kept me sane was Dilbert.