Work’s one-off problem

This idea cuts two ways.

The first way: all the little bullshit “Hey, got a minute?” things that pile up across a workday, a work week, and a work year. All told, they cost the U.S. about $588B in lost productivity.

That should matter, but as long as bonuses are fat and growth can be proven, the lost productivity is largely just tolerated.

The second one-off problem is courtesy of this article about high performers:

They ask high performers to help on many small efforts unrelated to their work. “As a high performer, you have demands as a culture carrier, a mentor, and a resource for others,” Lisa says. Similarly, Karen describes how this practice affects herself and her high-performing team members: “They are constantly being asked to help in small ways. ‘You’re good at making slides. Can you make this one slide?’ ‘You’re good at WordPress. Can you add this page?’ I’m just realizing how much time I’ve spent on all these one-off requests the last few weeks. And that’s why I don’t feel like I’ve gotten anything done.” While this issue is often framed as a personal problem for people who don’t know how to set boundaries or say no, it’s more fairly seen as an organizational problem where the most hardworking people are “rewarded” with more work.