How's work going?

[Gavster]

I eventually gave up on goals, sacked off the business coach and decided not to worry too much about results (I still care, just not as obsessed as I used to be). I found that without the stress, I did actually enjoy my job.

That's very interesting, because over the last 12 months I've been through a process of giving less of a shit about outcomes and other people's expectations, and it has made it enormously easier to deliver good work. Previously, I was paralysed by unrealistic expectations, which limited my ability to work because I was always worried it wasn't enough for the client. Once I banished those expectations, I was able to get on with projects and smash through the work, doing whatever I am able to. Ultimately it resulted in better service for my clients because I went from a slightly reticent "not sure if this is good enough" paradigm to a confident "here's the best I can do" mindset. It's like a combination of being absolutely happy to get things wrong and that book "the subtle art of not giving a fuck"

[dinny_g]

That's very interesting because I'm on your former headspace, not the latter...

I suppose it a combination of me being my own worst critic sketchy line management at the moment and a CIO who hasn't the time for individual monitoring of performance.

I constantly deliver under very trying circumstances but the doubts are always there - Are these circumstances really that trying, could I have done more, could I have delivered earlier, could I have delivered cheaper.

Some of it is down to expectations which I know are unrealistic but then the doubts creep in - should I be able to do this etc.

I just try to get on with things but the doubts are always there in the background...

[Delphi]

My actual work is a bit boring, but I've been mitigating this by getting involved in recruitment, interviewing prospective candidates as well as mentoring and onboarding new people. My job is very low stress, my team is a great bunch of people, there's no pressure and Sky's a great place to work in terms of culture and benefits.

I've decided to go for the promotion they've been pushing me towards since I first went perm as they've agreed to my red lines (not changing teams, no line management and bullshit meetings) which will mean a decent pay rise. Overall, I'm very happy.

[Gavster]

That's very interesting because I'm on your former headspace, not the latter...

I suppose it a combination of me being my own worst critic sketchy line management at the moment and a CIO who hasn't the time for individual monitoring of performance.

I constantly deliver under very trying circumstances but the doubts are always there - Are these circumstances really that trying, could I have done more, could I have delivered earlier, could I have delivered cheaper.

Some of it is down to expectations which I know are unrealistic but then the doubts creep in - should I be able to do this etc.

I just try to get on with things but the doubts are always there in the background...

Those internal judgements definitely hold back progress. In my experience, there's rarely a definitive 'correct' answer in work and business - any solution is a good one. I learned some of my new way through working with an exceedingly annoying and irritating person whose default response to any query was "let's sort it out now". She'd always want to quickly find a way to deal with things right now, that could potentially solve the problem, so she could move onto the next task asap. That grated with my default of "let me think about it for a couple of days" in hope of finding the best solution. She was one of the most prolific and successful workers I've ever seen, clients loved her for it. Ultimately I put aside my judgements of her (interestingly, I wasn't only judging myself...) and tried her way of being and it definitely accelerated my progress.

Obviously I'm speaking as a freelancer/consultant/business owner who has the freedom to "fuck around and find out", rather than as an employee, although, as I also employ people, I do admire those who take the initiative to GSD, even if it's not how I would have asked them to do it.

[Ascender]

Hope the presentation goes well @Beany, I'm sure you'll smash it.

I have a mix of clients for the project/programme management work which is all pretty routine stuff. I'm talking to a potential new one about some AWS services this week which will be something a bit new and different which should give me a bit of a kick up the backside.

[dinny_g]

I learned some of my new way through working with an exceedingly annoying and irritating person whose default response to any query was "let's sort it out now". She'd always want to quickly find a way to deal with things right now, that could potentially solve the problem, so she could move onto the next task asap.

- That's bizarre - I'm a lot like that.

A very wide and varied 25 year IT career, where I've worked as just about every role from BA to Test Analyst to Support Manager to Process Designer to Consultant Programmer and Project Manager, combined with a Civil Engineer's innate ability to problem solve and an almost savant ability to see through all of the peripheral noise to the core of any issue means I can very quickly determine cause and required action.

However, people always want a workshop to analyse the issue, someone to create a set of slides with a series of options and a recommendation and finally a meeting with the CIO to agree the recommendation which 99 times out of 100 is the recommendation I made 5 minutes after the problem was found.

Successive line managers always talk about the need to bring people along with me but I just wish they'd just do what I fucking say...

[ZedLeg]

I learned some of my new way through working with an exceedingly annoying and irritating person whose default response to any query was "let's sort it out now". She'd always want to quickly find a way to deal with things right now, that could potentially solve the problem, so she could move onto the next task asap.

- That's bizarre - I'm a lot like that.

Our global ops director is like that, I've had nothing but bother since sept because he pushed through launching new apps on the store before we tested properly and we're now trying to put quick fixes in for the problems caused.

There's a solution that would fix it all but he doesn't want to spend the money yet so it probably won't be in place til next year.

The meetings we've had about this are probably the closest I've ever been to crossing the line of acceptable swearing at work

[Ascender]

I struggle with that too. Whether its being restricted by governance (which is kind of fair enough to a point) or just the obsession with everyone to have a meeting about ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING before doing something.. Just go and get it done so we can all move on and actually deliver something/resolve it before the end of the year.

[Holley]

I eventually gave up on goals, sacked off the business coach and decided not to worry too much about results (I still care, just not as obsessed as I used to be). I found that without the stress, I did actually enjoy my job.

That's very interesting, because over the last 12 months I've been through a process of giving less of a shit about outcomes and other people's expectations, and it has made it enormously easier to deliver good work. Previously, I was paralysed by unrealistic expectations, which limited my ability to work because I was always worried it wasn't enough for the client. Once I banished those expectations, I was able to get on with projects and smash through the work, doing whatever I am able to. Ultimately it resulted in better service for my clients because I went from a slightly reticent "not sure if this is good enough" paradigm to a confident "here's the best I can do" mindset. It's like a combination of being absolutely happy to get things wrong and that book "the subtle art of not giving a fuck"

I think more people are coming round to a more relaxed and enjoyment focused attitude to work. More so now that many have proven you don't need heavy stress levels to do a job well.

There are weird parallels between how religion was used in the middle ages to sell the concept of a terrible life of struggle being rewarded with heaven And a life of working yourself to death being rewarded with retirement. Both basically using the same concept of a carrot on a stick.

The States, Germany, Japan and even in the UK to some degree are still in the work hard, enjoy life later mindset. But I think we're slowly learning from some of the Nordic countries of working less hours and still giving the same productivity (or more) and creating a more enjoyable work life/home life.

[Rich B]

That isn't just being led by the employees, plenty of employers are finding that more benefits, less strict control of hours/place of work, improving culture, etc improves productivity, staff retention, recruitment of better people, etc...

Or, we could just go Elon and remove all benefits, work only from the office, remove all culture and job security and see what happens.

Who knows, maybe he's right!

[Sundayjumper]

However, people always want a workshop to analyse the issue, someone to create a set of slides with a series of options and a recommendation and finally a meeting with the CIO to agree the recommendation which 99 times out of 100 is the recommendation I made 5 minutes after the problem was found.

Reading that was like looking in the mirror. Slide packs. F**king slide packs.

[Gavster]

I think more people are coming round to a more relaxed and enjoyment focused attitude to work. More so now that many have proven you don't need heavy stress levels to do a job well.

There are weird parallels between how religion was used in the middle ages to sell the concept of a terrible life of struggle being rewarded with heaven And a life of working yourself to death being rewarded with retirement. Both basically using the same concept of a carrot on a stick.

The States, Germany, Japan and even in the UK to some degree are still in the work hard, enjoy life later mindset. But I think we're slowly learning from some of the Nordic countries of working less hours and still giving the same productivity (or more) and creating a more enjoyable work life/home life.

The protestant work ethic has a lot to answer for!

I really do love the generational change that's been brought in by the Gen Z approach to work. Millenials spearheaded the productivity/hustle dynamic of the last 10 years which has been quite detrimental IMO, it focussed on the wrong thing and I always had a grudge about the way productivity hacks seemed to be the number 1 work topic for a long time. Gen Z have far less attachment to their work, combined with a slightly troll-like sense of humour (their email sign-offs are awesome), which is great to see. It was summed up by an account of a Gen Z in a job interview where the candidate asked the panel "Why should I work here?".

@Rich B Seebohm Rowntree was a leading light in similar principles in the 18th Century, with great success. Whether it's right or wrong for your organisation is entirely contextual based on lots of subjective factors. For example, one business who offered great community, loads of staff engagement, great culture etc, lost a load of staff when WFH kicked in, simply because they weren't the highest paying in their field and all those social benefits meant SFA when you're working remotely. Suddenly the organisation that simply paid the most was the most attractive to employees. Everyone has different needs, there's not a right or wrong answer here.

[Gavster]

However, people always want a workshop to analyse the issue, someone to create a set of slides with a series of options and a recommendation and finally a meeting with the CIO to agree the recommendation which 99 times out of 100 is the recommendation I made 5 minutes after the problem was found.

Reading that was like looking in the mirror. Slide packs. F**king slide packs.

"Shall I do a deck for the meeting?"

[Jimmy Choo]

Boring and fairly pointless. I move numbers around spreadsheets and get very little satisfaction from doing so as I'm too far removed from any improvements we make to the world. When I was working for bomb disposal/ECM, probiotic tea or dementia care nursing homes I got a sense of satisfaction from it but I'm currently just being paid quite well and the benefits are really good but I have no passion for it.

It's a way to fund my life and pay off the debts I took from the last marriage.

[Rich B]

I think more people are coming round to a more relaxed and enjoyment focused attitude to work. More so now that many have proven you don't need heavy stress levels to do a job well.

There are weird parallels between how religion was used in the middle ages to sell the concept of a terrible life of struggle being rewarded with heaven And a life of working yourself to death being rewarded with retirement. Both basically using the same concept of a carrot on a stick.

The States, Germany, Japan and even in the UK to some degree are still in the work hard, enjoy life later mindset. But I think we're slowly learning from some of the Nordic countries of working less hours and still giving the same productivity (or more) and creating a more enjoyable work life/home life.

The protestant work ethic has a lot to answer for!

I really do love the generational change that's been brought in by the Gen Z approach to work. Millenials spearheaded the productivity/hustle dynamic of the last 10 years which has been quite detrimental IMO, it focussed on the wrong thing and I always had a grudge about the way productivity hacks seemed to be the number 1 work topic for a long time. Gen Z have far less attachment to their work, combined with a slightly troll-like sense of humour (their email sign-offs are awesome), which is great to see. It was summed up by an account of a Gen Z in a job interview where the candidate asked the panel "Why should I work here?".

@Rich B Seebohm Rowntree was a leading light in similar principles in the 18th Century, with great success. Whether it's right or wrong for your organisation is entirely contextual based on lots of subjective factors. For example, one business who offered great community, loads of staff engagement, great culture etc, lost a load of staff when WFH kicked in, simply because they weren't the highest paying in their field and all those social benefits meant SFA when you're working remotely. Suddenly the organisation that simply paid the most was the most attractive to employees. Everyone has different needs, there's not a right or wrong answer here.

I know every company is different of course, believe it or not I know a fair bit about working practices - seeing as that’s what my company does.

Not every practice will work for all, at my company after covid we have chosen to only allow WFH one day a week - I was part of that decision because for our output we need massive amounts of collaboration.

[McSwede]

Read and implement Robert Greene's 48 laws of power if you want to get the next promotion, work is a game that we all play and that book changed the way I deal with people, as well as helping to manage other people who were better at playing the game.

I've ordered that. Sounds like interesting reading!

[dinny_g]

their email sign-offs are awesome

- You get one warning to stop that. Any repeat and you're out the door. No warning, no dialog with HR, out the door.

[tim]

"Mean regards," is my favourite one.

[drcarlos]

their email sign-offs are awesome

- You get one warning to stop that. Any repeat and you're out the door. No warning, no dialog with HR, out the door.

We'd had some conversations on this subject in my old team where someone was berated for signing off with 'Cheers'. He was going to start responding with 'Lukewarm Regards' and the conversation deteriorated when I suggested 'Fuck Yeah' would be fun to use

[DeskJockey]

their email sign-offs are awesome

- You get one warning to stop that. Any repeat and you're out the door. No warning, no dialog with HR, out the door.

We'd had some conversations on this subject in my old team where someone was berated for signing off with 'Cheers'. He was going to start responding with 'Lukewarm Regards' and the conversation deteriorated when I suggested 'Fuck Yeah' would be fun to use

Cheers is my default signoff on email.