20050726
creative waste
Just goofing off _ seriously
Editorial, Chicago Tribune, July 25
If you could only see us, pecking at the keyboard in an airless office, intently eyeing this glowing computer screen, you'd think, hey, that person is really working hard.
Nah. We're just goofing off.
You too?
Yeah, we know.
According to a new survey by America Online and Salary.com, the average worker admits to frittering away about two hours per eight-hour workday. Based on our own highly personal survey, we think that's a bit high, unless you count runs to Starbucks, which we don't, because after all, that's the only way we can stay alert enough to write really long sentences like this one to fill space in the dog days of summer and keep our editors happy.
The survey said that employees are wasting twice as much time as employers suspect, and that employers pay $759 billion a year for all this Web surfing, daydreaming and chitchatting at the water cooler. Missouri was tabbed as the worst (3.2 hours) and Indiana was a distant second (2.8 hours); Illinois didn't even crack the top 10. (New Missouri motto: the Show Me Where to Lie Down state.)
We can't actually endorse the idea that anyone goof off on company time. Besides, it doesn't seem like anyone's waiting for the Tribune's permission in this area.
Some bosses, however, view this idly spent time as potentially "creative waste," or time that may have a positive influence on the company's culture, according to Salary.com Senior Vice President Bill Coleman. Even if employees only chat around the coffeemaker, he says, that can benefit a company, if it boosts morale and helps them cooperate as a team.
Creative waste. That's an intriguing notion.
With all the consultants and life coaches swarming around to improve performance in all realms professional and personal, it's surprising that this has been overlooked. Americans need to get better at wasting time. Methods of wasting time probably haven't advanced much in decades or more. There's the idle gossip at the copy machine. Spacing-out at the desk while the boss isn't looking. The ubiquitous but stealthy personal phone calls made on company time.
But where's the inspired time-squandering? We propose that those who dribble away a little time at work think differently about how they do it. Perhaps one should consider that time to be an exceedingly brief sabbatical. In other words, don't just waste it mindlessly.
Maybe you could seek out a fellow employee who speaks a different language and try to learn a little. Take a brisk lap or two around the block with a co-worker. Write some haiku. You'll think of something.
Every good boss knows a little wasted time is built into every day. Most people need it to stay fresh, to keep the batteries charged. We get our best ideas when we're off ... well, not seated at our desk, shall we say. There, that was a nice little break, wasn't it? You can go back to work now. ¶ 7/26/2005 08:29:00 PM
Editorial, Chicago Tribune, July 25
If you could only see us, pecking at the keyboard in an airless office, intently eyeing this glowing computer screen, you'd think, hey, that person is really working hard.
Nah. We're just goofing off.
You too?
Yeah, we know.
According to a new survey by America Online and Salary.com, the average worker admits to frittering away about two hours per eight-hour workday. Based on our own highly personal survey, we think that's a bit high, unless you count runs to Starbucks, which we don't, because after all, that's the only way we can stay alert enough to write really long sentences like this one to fill space in the dog days of summer and keep our editors happy.
The survey said that employees are wasting twice as much time as employers suspect, and that employers pay $759 billion a year for all this Web surfing, daydreaming and chitchatting at the water cooler. Missouri was tabbed as the worst (3.2 hours) and Indiana was a distant second (2.8 hours); Illinois didn't even crack the top 10. (New Missouri motto: the Show Me Where to Lie Down state.)
We can't actually endorse the idea that anyone goof off on company time. Besides, it doesn't seem like anyone's waiting for the Tribune's permission in this area.
Some bosses, however, view this idly spent time as potentially "creative waste," or time that may have a positive influence on the company's culture, according to Salary.com Senior Vice President Bill Coleman. Even if employees only chat around the coffeemaker, he says, that can benefit a company, if it boosts morale and helps them cooperate as a team.
Creative waste. That's an intriguing notion.
With all the consultants and life coaches swarming around to improve performance in all realms professional and personal, it's surprising that this has been overlooked. Americans need to get better at wasting time. Methods of wasting time probably haven't advanced much in decades or more. There's the idle gossip at the copy machine. Spacing-out at the desk while the boss isn't looking. The ubiquitous but stealthy personal phone calls made on company time.
But where's the inspired time-squandering? We propose that those who dribble away a little time at work think differently about how they do it. Perhaps one should consider that time to be an exceedingly brief sabbatical. In other words, don't just waste it mindlessly.
Maybe you could seek out a fellow employee who speaks a different language and try to learn a little. Take a brisk lap or two around the block with a co-worker. Write some haiku. You'll think of something.
Every good boss knows a little wasted time is built into every day. Most people need it to stay fresh, to keep the batteries charged. We get our best ideas when we're off ... well, not seated at our desk, shall we say. There, that was a nice little break, wasn't it? You can go back to work now. ¶ 7/26/2005 08:29:00 PM
