We all have parts of our job that we dislike. For me,
this week has been a succession of re-installing Windows on crashed
computers. As I write, the 5th machine is on the tech bench here in
my office, slowly re-gathering its software brains. While I would much
rather be helping my clients make the most of their computers, the computers
have to be functioning first. So I sit and stare at slowly moving thermometer
bars, waiting to insert the next disk. All this tedium does serve one
purpose, though. It reminds me to look for ways to relieve the boredom
that such work brings. Otherwise, a job, and more importantly a career,
can turn into an endless march of drudgery from one day to the next.
Break it up
One of the easiest ways to combat repetitive or demanding work is to
split it up with other easier or more enjoyable work. Sure, you may
have 10 machines to setup for your department, but it doesn’t
mean you have to do them all at once. Break them into groups and make
sure to include some other activities between installs. Unless you have
a rapidly approaching firm deadline, balance out the work so that it
doesn’t drive you crazy. Sure, there will be times when you have
to “soldier on” through a long succession of tedious work,
but whenever you have the opportunity to control your own timeline,
take advantage of it.
Delegate it
If you are lucky, you might be able to delegate some of your least favorite
work to other staff members. If you do this, though, remember to be
considerate. Do you need to delegate all of the work or can you keep
some manageable part for yourself? In this way, no one person has to
feel the full brunt of the tedium, but the project still is done on
time. If you need to install 10 machines, keep 3 or 4 for yourself.
You won’t feel overburdened, nor will others in your department.
Reward yourself
Finally, if you find that your current job is filled with tedious work
and yet you want to grow your career, you must find some way of regularly
rewarding yourself. These rewards need not be expensive or dramatic.
They just need to be something special to you. If you like movies, reward
yourself with a night at the local theater or a new DVD when you complete
some portion of your work. Promise yourself a nice meal at your favorite
restaurant when you finish the first 10 computers of the 40 you need
to install. Make your rewards special to you, something you wouldn’t
do on a regular basis. Don’t put them off, either. Regularly reward
yourself for the work you have accomplished, especially if it wasn’t
much fun.
Why?
So, what is the reason for all this avoidance, delegating and rewarding?
Simply, it is one way of ensuring that your job and your career remain
as fulfilling as possible. Jobs filled with unrelenting drudgery will
grind down even the best worker unless ways are found to relieve it.
The fact is, work needs to be accomplished, but it doesn’t mean
it has to be destructive to the work force. Companies that make it so
are sowing the seeds of their own destruction. They are using and discarding
their people, confident that there will always be more people to take
their place. A shortsighted plan for any company. Instead, companies
need to find ways of relieving the tedium while still accomplishing
the work and if your company isn’t finding these ways, you need
to do it yourself. It is simple self-preservation. Find a way to survive
the boredom until you can move up and out to the next level in your
career.
Early in your career, you are sure to be faced with work that is less
than enthralling. You will slog through each day, doing your best to
keep moving. How you manage these days, though, can mean the difference
between a successful career and a career that you dread. Every step
you take today is one more step on the road to a great high-tech career.
Question of the week: How are you alleviating the drudgery
that is part of any high-tech job?
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