By Tim Duggan
We all know the type. The colleague that hurries past your desk with a furrowed brow. The person who鈥檚 always late to the meeting. The one who audibly signs when allocated a new task. If asked how they are going, no matter what the situation, they will always have the same reply: 鈥淥h! I鈥檓 just so busy!鈥
Being 鈥渂usy鈥 is a common refrain in the workplace, with some people clutching so hard to the descriptor that it鈥檚 basically part of their personality. But 鈥 and here鈥檚 the harsh reality 鈥 everyone is busy. Every single one of us has too many items on our to-do list, we鈥檝e all got places to go and there are dozens of open tabs in our brains that are clamouring for our attention.
Yet, some people still fall willingly into the trap of 鈥渂usyness鈥, wearing it like a badge that sets them apart from everyone else. Every workplace has this strain of colleague who thrives on the perception they are always working too hard and are under the pump.
There鈥檚 a name for this too: 鈥減roductivity theatre鈥, which means performing actions that make you seem like you鈥檙e doing things, even if it doesn鈥檛 contribute meaningfully to any business outcomes.