Reading Notes - Managing the High Intensity Workplace PDF

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Chapter summary from the Book "HBR's 10 Articles for New Managers"...

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1 Managing the High-Intensity Workplace

Reading Notes #3 Breeana Berumen September 18, 2019 Cal Poly Pomona Central Theme: The central theme of this reading is how to manage a high-intensity workplace and the consequences that come along with it. From Wall Street to Hong Kong, people around the world are consistently being overworked. It is common to see managers overloading their subordinates, requiring them to be available around the clock, and making last minute requests for additional work. To ensure that those demands are met, employees have gotten use to showing up to work early, staying late, and pulling all-nighters. These extreme demands have resulted in employees being tied to their electronics 24/7, those unwilling to do so have been penalized. In doing so, organizations have created what sociologists like to call “ideal workers”. Ideal workers are the employees who comply with making work their main priority. They cut off all the other aspects that make a person themselves. These aspects include hobbies, exercise, and sometimes even family. People who are overly dedicated and always on call believe that everyone in the organization should be that way and push an unhealthy work culture. They believe if you have any interests other than the job you have, then you are unfit for the position. There is constant pressure to be an ideal worker in an organization, but research has found ways some employees cope with the stress. Research found that employees rely on one of three methods to deal with the pressure to be ideal workers. These methods include accepting – conforming to the demands of a high-pressure workplace, passing – as ideal workers by quietly finding ways around the norm, or revealing – their other commitments and their unwillingness to abandon them. Critical Analysis: Accepting is one of the ways employees manage the pressure of a high intensity workplace. Accepting involves adjusting their lives to make work their main priority. These employees are the ideal workers who believe that the only way to be fit for a job is by working day in and day out to achieve results. They are always available and are willing to do whatever is necessary to succeed. These people cut off outside interests and often bail out on scheduled events for unforeseen work duties. By prioritizing their work identity, they sacrifice aspects of who they are. Accepting may be beneficial when work is enjoyable and rewarding therefore allowing them to succeed in the organization. Challenges may arise when conforming to the ideal worker life. When accepters are fired, they tend to take it more harshly since they devoted all their time and energy into that job. Accepters do not work well with or understand other employees who do not fully devote their time to work. Therefore, they are the drivers of organizational round the clock culture. Another way employees work through the intense workplace is by “passing”. Passing involves employees devoting their time to nonwork activities within the organizations radar. Passers try to hide their individualistic characteristics that might stigmatize or subject them to discrimination. Staff who were able to successfully “pass” as ideal workers while not fully

2 Managing the High-Intensity Workplace

conforming to those expectations received performance ratings that were just as high as “accepters”. As seen in the book there are multiple ways to “pass”. One example taken from Harvard’s Business Review talks about a consultant who limited himself to working only locally. The reason for this being that commute time is work time. He would rather only have to drive somewhere reasonably close or telecommute than to fly to different locations. Traveling always comes out of your personal time so some employees prefer to work nearby. For other passers success came from exploiting distance. By working with people who are far from them they can work virtually anywhere they’d like. Passers who utilized this practice were viewed as dedicated workers but also had the time to be with their families, put their children to bed, and pursue other hobbies. Although passing allows employees to survive in a stressful environment it also takes a toll on their psychological well-being. There is a price that comes with hiding parts of themselves from colleagues. When employees feel unable to share their lives with others, they feel insecure which in the long run can cost organizations. The last method to dealing with an intense work culture is by revealing. Revealing is openly sharing other parts of their lives with coworkers and superiors. Revealers often ask for changes to the structure of their work, such as fewer work hours. Revealers get the opportunity to share their characteristics and personal lives with others which passers miss out on. This inclusion helps the employee feel better connected with the organization but also has some consequences. People who reveal their nonwork side paid a substantial penalty. They are often asked questions about their dedication to the company and at times a loss of their job. Main Takeaway: This article is relevant to me because I too do not believe that employees should let their lives revolve around their career. I understand how important it is to be reliable in an organization but being on call 24/7 is taking it too far. I am a big family person and believe there should be a line between work and personal lives. It is what you do on your personal time that inspires you to do well at work. For example, I am currently a person who plans to start a family in the next few years. I hope to establish my work credibility with a company early on so that I do not worry about my spot in a business when I get pregnant. Having hobbies and interests outside of work are what separate you from another employee. Coming from a diverse background creates out of the box thinking and I know organizations look for that in an employee. By management creating a work culture that expects you to be focused all the time creates a bigger reality for burn outs. Burn outs occur when personnel do not have time off from their job. Employees need real time off, not days off but are still required to respond to emails. I think having time off can also stimulate creativity and make people happy. Happy employees tend to be more productive than employees who are unhappy and overworked. From personal experience I have learned if there is constant stress on you to perform every day of the week, all day, it makes you hesitant to be innovative. Innovation is risky and when there are all eyes on you all the time, you fear a loss under your belt will get you fired. Another benefit to having interests and hobbies outside of work include discovering hidden talents in employees that can provide unexpected business benefits. By creating a welcoming environment where employees feel open to sharing personal interests and creative thinking it establishes a close nit team bond which can motivate results.

3 Managing the High-Intensity Workplace

Most people show up to work and do the job that they are paid to do, very rarely do employees feel comfortable enough to take the initiative....