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Everyone knows an Office Martyr.
These are the people that absolutely refuse to let go of any of their tasks, thinking that no one can do them as well as they can. This refusal to delegate makes about as much sense as taking your summer vacation in Damascus.
Yet this kind of self-destructive behavior is actually encouraged. As a society, we’ve decided that many other behaviors that were acceptable only a few decades ago, are now completely out of the question. A careful viewing of any episode of Mad Men will confirm how much has changed in a relatively short time. Gone are the days of getting completely plastered at lunch, and then driving back to the office to finish up your day. Same goes for smoking, recreational drug use, gambling, gluttony, and virtually all other forms of excessive, self-destructive behavior.
The one glaring exception is workoholism. How many times have you been bombarded on Monday mornings with tales of alleged heroism about how someone successfully avoided their family all weekend, so they could work right through to finish some insignificant office project? The same people will drone on about how they get to the office before 7.00am, and work past 6.00pm on a regular basis.
This refusal to delegate is something to be embarrassed about, not something one brags about. Not many people entertain people at the water cooler boasting about their other vices:
- “I spent the weekend gambling away my kids’ tuition money!
- “I ate 12 boxes of Krispy-Kreme’s in one sitting on Saturday. Then I purged, and did it again.”
- “I keep a bottle of vodka, along with a toothbrush and mouthwash in my purse for mid-day emergencies.”
All of these sound as ridiculous to me as, “I work 80 hours per week on a regular basis”. Congratulations – you’re completely dysfunctional, and probably need to see a mental health professional – top speed.
There are only two situations that I could envision someone working an 80-hour week:
- The exceptional project, event or occurrence that will quickly pass to return to a more reasonable way of working, or
- You are a farmer – in which case you have my gratitude and respect.