'Busy – Doing What?'

By Rupa Datta of Portfolio People I credit the title to an old boss, who was my first management mentor and now a dear friend. She always challenged the management team when targets weren't met as to whether or not we were using our time efficiently (or effectively). Of course, none of us would agree despite the fact that we all knew she was probably right. This was part of my learning curve. Many people behave like being busy is a badge of honour – but is it? Ultimately we all have 168 hours in a week, period. Even if you are a contracted 37.5 hour a week individual, do you actually end up working a hell of a lot more than that? Do you blame your organisation or is it something you secretly choose to do? Conversely, do you recognise that your job role is something that could for example, only take two-thirds of the time allocated to it but it's a full time permanent role so that's that? Wouldn't you rather be doing something else in that time? A wise family member commented recently that perhaps for many work is a coping mechanism. My niece was until recently a London lawyer working stupidly long hours and surrounded by others doing the same. Through luck and initiative she's now in her dream role, for now, in Luxembourg where general attitudes to work are more relaxed than in the UK and the US. In other parts of Europe there is more respect for the employee’s time and it's a cultural thing, as a result work is more rewarding and productivity is higher. Perhaps all this business of 'busyness' stems from our fear of having to think and reflect on how well we are doing. Great leaders are incredibly self-aware and they take opportunities to learn and change. Personal development is now a primary focus in business schools and leadership training. In truth, to be truly happy with our work we all need to take a step back and work out what we want to do. Most importantly we should know why we want to do it and how we will get there in our careers as well as our life goals. We have events and workshops tailored to helping your personal development both in terms of your career and your life goals.Take a look at our events page for more information on upcoming events and workshops:http://www.portfolio-people.com/portfolio-events.html