Ploughing fields in the snow
How often do you see farmers out ploughing their fields in the snow? Short answer, you don’t. There’s a time and a place for that, when it’s needed. So why do we see so many information workers effectively doing the same thing?
How many managers will have their staff engaged in tasks to simply look busy? Ploughing fields in the snow.
If they were running a farm, how many workers would be out there doing tasks just because ‘that’s what farmers do’. No thought of the outcome or necessity. This is often driven by fear. Someone above might see something that looks like inactivity and get the wrong idea. Make a judgement.
A key aspect of farming throughout the ages has been the harvest. Where the crops are gathered after being planted and nurtured throughout the season. It’s always been a period of very hard work. At the end though, it’s also been a time to celebrate, show appreciation and then rest and recover.
The workers didn’t simply return to the fields the next day. They didn’t spend the months following ploughing fields in the snow to look busy.
I’ll leave it to you to work out what this might look like. How it might affect you, whatever side you’re on. The big question is, do you need to do something about it?