How to Fake A Hard Day at the Office

futileboy writes "There's a great article in the WSJ about how to use technology to avoid work, while giving the impression of working. At the bottom of the article is "A beginner's guide to making it look like you're working when you're not." "

Comments

Convincing people you do work

[stwrtpj]

Had this article come out about a year ago, I might have used some of these techniques just to prove to some people I was doing the work that I was legitimately doing.

On my present job, I am blessed with having a boss that allows me to set my own hours. I typically come in at the crack of dawn (6 AM), have lunch at my desk, and leave by 2:30PM. Combine this with needing only 5 hours of sleep a night and it gives me lots of free time (handy considering my wife and I have a new house with landscaping that is in awful shape, so I suppose "free time" is really a misnomer here :) ).

About a year ago, though, I had trouble with people from other groups thinking I wasn't working my 40 hours a week (which I was), and a whispering campaign started. My boss fortunately stood up for me, since she knows I work those hours, but I had to prove it to everyone else. So I got in the habit of answering all my email from the previous day the moment I got in at 6AM.

Finally one of the ones that I suspect complained about me tested me by coming in early and dropping in at my desk at 6:15 AM. Surprise, surprise, I was actually there like I said all along.

I haven't had any trouble since.

Re:Virtual Office?

[Smidge204]

it seems like an awful lot of "work" to not actually do any work.

It really is. But sometimes (and I speak form personal experience) there's just either really nothing to do, or you really want to avoid doing something for whatever reason, or you just want to buy some time... depends on the situation.

Once or twice I've deliberately created "network problems" (Very small office, doesn't effect the productivity of anyone else) - typically with the printers or something... then spend a good hour or so "fixing" it, since it happens to require standing next to the server and occasionally fiddling with the keyboard. (Which is out of sight from my boss, whom normally I sit right in front of all day long).

Sometimes you just need to escape, and since I don't smoke, cigarette breaks aren't an option :)
=Smidge=

Re:As long as you fake smart, who cares?

[enkidu]

Hey you sound like my ideal boss. Actually, my current manager is pretty close to ideal. In work, I want three things from a manager:

1. Give me interesting, challenging work.
2. Give me honest feedback on how I'm doing.
3. Keep people (including my boss) from interfering with me and my work.

In return I do the following:

1. Do the work expected of me to the best of my ability.
2. Keep the boss informed as to what I'm doing and how it's going.
3. Give him honest feedback on him and my work.

I've given this mini-spiel at every interview I've had with whomever would be my immediate supervisor and I can get a good feel for what kind of company I'm interviewing at by their reaction.