One of the reasons we’re working all hours is the simple fact that everyone else is doing the same. It’s hard to knock off at 5pm if everyone else in the office is working till midnight.
And a big part of why we’re working till midnight is that a lot of work (especially the “deep work”) has become impossible at the office (especially in the “open office”).
Obviously, this is not sustainable. Work serves real life, not the other way around. And real life always wins in the end.
Which is why I’m delighted that my Twitter buddies, Jason and David, the two co-founders of Basecamp software just co-authored a book called “It Doesn’t Have To Be Crazy At Work”, which is all about this subject:
In this timely manifesto, the authors of the New York Times bestseller Rework broadly reject the prevailing notion that long hours, aggressive hustle, and “whatever it takes” are required to run a successful business today.
When you think about it, the last forty or so years have been amazing for the world of work. But we picked up a lot of bad habits along the way. All the stuff that’s keeping poorFacebook in the news of late is just the beginning. A cultural reset may not happen tomorrow, but the demand for one is certainly overwhelming.
Interesting times ahead. Indeed.
