You are stressed all day, sometimes you don’t know where to start, at the end of the day not much has been moved. You know that? Then there is a high probability that you are affected by fake work. This means work that nobody needs in reality, but which seems unavoidable, important and/or urgent.
Source: 123rf.com
What is fake work? Reports that are written but nobody reads, preparation of and participation in meetings in which no decisions are made, unnecessary e-mails, double assignment of work, multiple filing of data, etc. All of these tasks have one thing in common: they do not contribute anything to the added value of the company or organization.
Fake work usually does not arise from one second to the next. It starts insidiously and gets more and more. It is almost always the case that you do not choose these yourself, but the triggers can be found outside, e.g. superiors who delegate this. Fake work is usually only noticed when the workload is so high that it is no longer manageable and still there is the feeling that you have not moved anything, are running at the stand. At the latest then the point is that there is an urgent need for action.
What to do? The first thing to do is to recognize what is necessary work in a support process and what is real fake work. As in crisis management, the next step is to analyze the most burning issue. Do you really have to do the job? Can you make it easier? etc. If you have the feeling that you are not getting any closer to the solution or that the task cannot be changed, then it is advisable to get someone to support you. These can be people from your personal environment, where you have the feeling that they have their work life especially good under control, or you get an external person as a consultant or sparring partner. As soon as the first topic works and the new approach has become a habit, the next one comes up…
I myself have been in management for more than 25 years and as a coach/sparring partner for around 20 years. In the many years in which I had management positions at all levels, I have successfully completed many seemingly unsolvable tasks and managed crises. Why am I telling you this? My experience has shown that there is always a way and an opportunity for change that brings relief, restores balance.
So if you are affected, then do not hesitate to take a look and act, alone or with a sparring partner by your side! We are also happy to assist you. The initial consultation can be booked on our contact page and is free of charge.