Whether or not you are doing it yourself
June 2024
“The Work” is the daily stuff of life that has to be done, those tasks that you don’t want to do, that aren’t “fun”, the stuff that actually moves you forward but tends to be ignored…
I have spent many times speaking with people who are in charge of things who have no idea what is actually going on (both personally and professionally.)
It’s depressing. It’s frustrating.
But most of all it is mind-boggling…
How, if you are “in charge” of such things, do you have not a clue of what is actually going on?
I have spent my life and career making things easier and transparent for other people. No games. No read between the lines. No “figure out what I’m thinking.” Not only that, in addition, I ask and follow up hoping to make sure that they understand. I mean, they are the ones making the decisions. Don’t they want all the information? Don’t they want to understand?
I ask: “Does this make sense?” “Do you need more information?” “What else to do you need?” “How can I make this easier and more transparent?” (See? Pretty blunt. No games.)
This is not to say that people shouldn’t be trusted to do their work and do it well. (My best managers have let me be and just let me do the work.) But if you are managing, deciding, owning, you should be aware of all the parts and pieces, in case, say someone gets hit by a bus…
(This was a running joke in a previous company of mine. We would say all the time if the owner got hit by a bus, he should make sure it doesn’t destroy his thumb so we could unlock his computer and keep the company going.)
It is no different in your personal life. We may (or may not) have people who rely on us, who do things for us, that may or may not be around for a variety of reasons at times. If you have someone to come in and clean your house for you, what if they can’t? What if you can’t find the right person for awhile? What if (*cough cough) 2020 happens again?
And that’s a minor inconvenience, stuff can pile up, it’s not the end of the world. (But it will be exhausting or likely expensive whenever someone has to deal with it…)
There are multiple stories, hopeful and heartbreaking, of spouses leaving and the remaining partner having to pick up the pieces, literally as well as figuratively. Now, that’s not saying that you have to do it all. You don’t. But you should know what the other person is doing to keep your life running smoothly so if you had to do it in a pinch, you could.
I know there is a lot going on. A lot pulling at us. And trust me, the last thing I want to do is add another chore to my plate. But there are things that we can be doing that will make EVERYTHING else easier on us…
We all want less to do, less stress, less obligation, less everything.
I believe that knowing how to do things (whether or not we do them on a regular basis) can help alleviate some of that stress. If you know that you can do things and/or figure them out (or put them on autopilot in some way, shape or form), that takes a load off your mind. You aren’t worrying about a change in things that could throw you completely off-course.
Knowing HOW is power.
It means that you know what is affecting you and what is surrounding you. You get to make decisions, even if someone else is doing something for you. You might not be aware of what it takes to get something done. You might realize it’s not that important to you. You might make a change.
It works in the professional. Someone might think the priority at work is X because that’s what they have been told to do. When a manager or supervisor (or owner) realizes that X is taking twice as long and costing triple the amount than they thought with minimal return on what they are doing, well now they know. Does it match with what they believe is what is important or not?
It works in the personal too. Back to the cleaning example, what are they cleaning? Is that really important to you? Is it worth the money and the time or are you someone who is fine with collecting dust bunnies for 6 months to a year as long as spills are wiped up and clutter isn’t everywhere? (This “may” be me 🙂)
It’s a whole other way to listen to yourself and your life about what makes the most sense for you. Who knew that “The Work” was so insightful?
