The New Rat Race

A colleague, Kristin Woodman, whose values as a corporate manager I respect very much, recently wrote a thought-provoking post on her blog.  The topic was work/life balance.  In it, she asks why so many of us who are in leadership roles fail to practice what we preach when it comes to taking time away from the office, enjoying the unplugged, relaxing vacations that we have earned.  You can read her post here:

http://www.kristinmwoodman.com/2013/08/24/work-life-balance-and-the-great-leadership-hypocrisy/

This got me thinking about why I am too often personally guilty of engaging in the “great leadership hypocrisy” that Kristin describes.  I do take time off, but I'm almost never entirely "off the grid."   

At face value, “Do as I say, not as I do” presents as a fairly straightforward, classic phenomenon.  In other contexts, the central issue and root cause are pretty clear: the parent who is a smoker is physically addicted to nicotine, lacks the resources [motivation, capacity, support system, whatever] to kick the habit, and is acutely aware of the consequences that will prevail if the child fails to heed the warning never to begin smoking.  Do as I say, or you’ll end up like me.  ‘Nuff said.

The work/life balance behavior modeling scenario is far more subtle and complex.  Weaved into this tapestry are the following:

Demographics:  The Baby Boomer cohort elevated workaholism to an art form in the 1980s. As they entered the workforce in droves, their sheer numbers upped the ante with regard to finding a job and advancing within a career.  Sociologically, this group, in typical rebellious-youth fashion, rejected the laid-back “hippie” value system of many of their predecessors, becoming instead a particularly competitive generation of workers.  The three-martini lunch was out.  Yuppies and Bimmers were in.  Boomers, throughout their lives up to and including the present day, have had to compete more aggressively against their generational peers for finite goods, whether those be job promotions, houses in coveted locations, or anything of general appeal to their particular age group.  The result?  Continual, relentless “raising of the bar.”  It’s no surprise that we see this reflected in rampant credentialism; the Bachelor's Degree long ago became the new High School diploma.  These days it seems that the M.B.A. is the new Bachelor's Degree.  Run faster, work harder, be scared. 

Did I mention demographics?  It isn’t that the Boomers are an evil bunch, though it is interesting to follow all that has been written about the numbers of Gen X-ers and Millennials who, in typical rebellious-youth fashion, rejected the uptight, striving lifestyles of their predecessors in favor of living more balanced lives.  Although it can be argued that some of the cross-generational shift in priorities was driven by economic necessity (all those Boomers who continued to hog the good jobs well into their golden years had crowded out many who arguably should have been their successors,) I believe that each of the generations in play within today’s workforce has a great deal of wisdom to share with the others, especially on topics such as work/life balance, if only we can bring ourselves to listen.   

Technology:  So much has been written on this topic that anything I may add will surely be unoriginal.  The introduction of computer automation, of the internet, of wireless technology, of countless other technological advances over the past 50+ years has tended to follow a common arc: initial rosy predictions of vastly increased leisure time made possible by the unimaginable efficiencies to be realized through these wonderful new inventions become perverted, with outcomes being diametrically opposite initial expectations.  We have become a nation of people tethered to our jobs, “on call” 24/7, not necessarily because we want to be, but because the fact that we can be has created nearly universal expectations that we will be.

Global competition:  Another shopworn topic, but one that must be mentioned in connection with the question of why we engage in self-flagellation when it comes to taking time away from our duties.  All that technology has enabled outsourcing of all manner of service sector jobs on a grand scale.  There’s a widespread perception that {choose a country – China is a current favorite} is about to eat our lunch.  American companies, quite understandably, have responded by introducing countless initiatives aimed at becoming “lean and mean,” doing more with less.  If the Baby Boomers hadn’t already killed the three-martini lunch, the emerging markets labor force certainly would have.  We are no longer just competing against each other, we’re competing against – or learning to exploit the availability of – cheap labor in faraway lands.  How do we accomplish this?   By proving our value every day – keeping nose to grindstone, being available 24/7, not taking ‘off the grid’ vacations…

And there it is.  In the end, we are simply running scared; running further, faster every day so as not to fall behind.  Breaking the cycle, especially for those in leadership roles, requires acts of bravery.  As perverse as this seems, it takes courage to indulge in a bit of relaxation.