“Fake Work” and “Do Nothing”
WMMM #025 - This week I share a perspective on “fake work.”
Jeff Keplar Newsletter July 15, 2023 4 min read
“Fake Work” and “Do Nothing”
This week, a story on The Hustle podcast introduced a different view of the term “Do Nothing.”
As sales professionals, we recognize “Do Nothing” as the dreaded potential outcome of a sales campaign.
Remember the saying: “I’d prefer a ‘yes,’ but I’ll take a ‘no’ over a ‘maybe.’“ A “maybe” invites indecision. There isn’t yet a compelling reason to do something. “Do Nothing” remains an option and will burn precious selling time that could and should have been invested elsewhere.
The podcast title is “Lazy Management” versus “Fake Work.”
“Fake Work” sounds slightly like “Do Nothing” but in a different context. Please read the article from The Hustle, which I’ve included below. I think it offers an interesting perspective.
“Lazy Management” versus “Fake Work”
I had a surly manager at a diner who used to love to say, “If there’s time to lean, there’s time to clean.”
Yeah, no one liked him.
But the tech industry may be suffering from the opposite problem. Is the real story behind “fake work” — i.e., the output of well-paid tech workers who do nothing all day — actually “lazy management”?
Working hard, or hardly working?
Insider spoke to a former Amazon research scientist who earned $300k+/year doing squat. Vox reported on a man in fintech who spends most of his day on naps, housework, and TV.
Both were down to work, but no one gave them anything to do.
Why not ask for more? In 2023 alone, 216k+ tech workers have been laid off as the pandemic’s everything-online era has cooled. People aren’t exactly keen to announce there’s not enough work for their position.
Why does this happen?
Sometimes, it’s the ebb and flow of projects and seasons. But often, it’s not workers slacking but managers not managing efficiently — and there are a lot of reasons for that.
If they’re overworked, maybe they don’t notice. Maybe they dislike confrontation. Maybe they’re promotion-driven, boosting head counts without offering guidance or producing results.
In some cases, there may be too few managers; in others, too many, gumming up progress.
Why is this a problem?
Getting paid to do nothing sounds great, but it can be harmful:
Sidelined employees struggle to develop their careers, missing promotions, awards, and other milestones. They also face layoffs.
Meanwhile, resentment can build among overworked employees.
What can be done?
Experts say restructuring can help, but it’s also about shifting a company’s culture — e.g., aligning incentives with goals, increasing transparency and communication, and properly defining roles.
And, ahem, maybe not always blaming workers.
Fun fact: The Trainee is a documentary in which performance artist Pilvi Takala does nothing in Deloitte’s marketing department for a month.
H/T The Hustle, Hubspot Media
Avoid “Fake Work”
Getting paid to do nothing sounds great, but it rarely turns out well for us.
We stunt our career growth. If we are not learning and growing, we get stale.
I am still waiting to see a successful sales professional getting paid to do nothing. It requires so much effort to influence changes in behavior and help enterprises make decisions that it seems impossible to be a good salesperson and do nothing all day.
However, I have recently witnessed the phenomenon where a technology company believes that industry subject matter expertise is the key to selling and hires people for sales roles with little sales skills or experience. The outcome, predictably, from my point of view, is missed expectations (failure.)
In situations like these, sales suffer, and the individuals in those sales roles are not performing the tasks necessary to be successful - they don’t know how.
What do they do all day?
They do what they know. They produce content about their area of expertise. It does not influence enterprise change, and it does not help stakeholders make a purchase decision. Some might consider this “fake work.”
Make a difference every day
We should ask ourselves:
“Did I contribute value to my employer today?”
“If I don’t show up for work tomorrow, will I be missed?”
“ Does my output matter to my employer?”
“Did I learn something new today?”
“How will that help me contribute more value?”
“Who did I influence today?”
“How does that help them?”
If we are in a role where we lack the skills and experience to deliver the desired results, we should make an effort to acquire those skills.
How does “doing nothing” affect “Do Nothing?”
As sales professionals, we must be even more vigilant for signs of “Do Nothing.” With more employees feeling sidelined by their employers, we will find more “tire kicking,” “navel-gazing,” “window shopping,” and “science projects.” No matter what you call them, these “opportunities” consume sales resources without intending to buy.
“Do Nothing” is also known as a “No Decision.” To avoid “No Decision,” invest in the skills necessary to identify and develop the pain emotion. The art of asking questions in a specific manner is part of developing the pain associated with identifying what happens if nothing is done about the “Current State.” The art of tailoring our communication to match how our audience prefers to interact with others is also a required skill.
Summary & Lessons Learned
1) Reduce the risk of “Do Nothing” by finding PAIN and developing “Why Buy Anything”
2) Lazy management contributes to the “Fake Work” epidemic.
3) Avoid “fake work” and make a difference every day.
4) Acquire the skills required to deliver results. Always be learning.
Thank you for reading,
Jeff
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