09 Sep Why Does Everyone at Work Seem to Avoid Their Job? (And Why It’s Not as Productive as It Seems)

Have you ever worked in a company where people are constantly busy, but the real work somehow gets sidelined? In highly bureaucratic organizations, this often happens because employees avoid their core tasks by focusing on unnecessary work—all under the guise of helping the team or saving money. It may seem like everyone is working hard for the greater good, but in reality, this can lead to inefficiency, with customers paying the price. Let’s explore why this happens and what leaders can do about it.

Freud’s Pleasure Principle: Avoiding Real Work, Staying Busy

Sigmund Freud’s “pleasure principle” suggests that people naturally avoid things they don’t enjoy and seek what feels good (Freud, 1920). In bureaucratic companies, doing actual work can feel like an endless struggle against procedures. So, employees look for work that feels more satisfying, like organizing extra reports, attending meetings, or taking on other “helpful” tasks.

This is especially true when some employees feel pressured to compensate for budget limitations. They might stretch themselves thin, doing unnecessary work just to save costs. However, this often creates a situation where cutting corners on one side of the company leads to problems on another. Ultimately, customers are the ones who feel the negative impact, as resources that should be focused on them are being redirected elsewhere.

Jung’s Shadow: Hiding Behind the “We” Mentality

Carl Jung’s concept of the “shadow” refers to the hidden parts of ourselves that we don’t like to admit (Jung, 1959). In a corporate setting, this might mean that employees feel frustrated by the inefficiencies or budget constraints but can’t express it directly. Instead of confronting the real problem, they bury themselves in unnecessary tasks.

In some cases, this work-saving behavior is wrapped in the collective “we” mentality, where employees feel they are helping the team by taking on extra, non-essential work. They justify it by thinking they’re helping to save the budget, even though the quality of service—and ultimately the customer—suffers.

Lacan’s Desire: Searching for Fulfillment in Busywork

Jacques Lacan talked about the endless human search for something more fulfilling (Lacan, 1977). In highly procedural companies, employees often take on unnecessary tasks because their core responsibilities have become buried in bureaucracy. These extra tasks offer a temporary sense of control or purpose, as employees believe they are helping the team by “saving money” or “supporting” the organization in ways that don’t move the needle forward.

However, these tasks don’t resolve the underlying issues. Saving money by reallocating resources might keep the budget intact, but when it’s done at the expense of customer satisfaction, it’s a short-term solution that causes long-term harm.

When Avoiding Work Seems to Help, but Hurts

In many bureaucratic companies, the pressure to save on one side of the budget often leads employees to take on extra tasks that aren’t their core job. This creates a scenario where the company looks like it’s running efficiently on paper, but in reality, resources are stretched thin, and corners are being cut. Employees become busy with work that feels necessary but doesn’t directly contribute to their main responsibilities.

The real danger is that, while this behavior might seem like a way to help the company save money, the cost often comes at the expense of the customer. When employees divert their attention away from customer-facing tasks, the quality of service declines, and the company risks losing clients, which is far more costly in the long run.

A Guide for Leaders: Balancing Efficiency and Customer Focus

If you’re a leader in a bureaucratic company, it’s essential to understand that the “we” mentality of doing extra tasks to save the budget might be doing more harm than good. Here’s how to address this and keep the focus where it belongs—on the customer:

1. Clarify Priorities and the Customer Focus:

• Ensure that your team understands which tasks directly impact the customer. Create a culture where customer satisfaction is prioritized over internal busywork. Avoid cutting costs in ways that will harm the customer experience.

2. Recognize Misplaced Efficiency:

• Employees often engage in unnecessary tasks believing they are helping the company save money. Make it clear that saving on one side only to lose on the customer side is counterproductive. Recognize and reward efforts that truly benefit the company and the customer.

3. Hold People Accountable for Core Work:

• While teamwork and extra help are important, employees need to stay focused on their main responsibilities. Create accountability systems that ensure employees are prioritizing the right tasks. When they are too focused on peripheral jobs, customers suffer.

4. Evaluate the True Cost of Budget Cuts:

• Saving money on one side of the budget often means sacrificing quality on another. Before making cuts, ensure that the impact on customer satisfaction is fully considered. If you save money internally but lose customers, you haven’t really saved anything.

5. Create a Balance Between Efficiency and Quality:

• Encourage employees to look for ways to be more efficient without sacrificing customer service. Provide training or tools that help them streamline their core responsibilities, so they don’t feel the need to take on additional, unnecessary work.

Conclusion: Busy Isn’t Always Productive

In bureaucratic companies, avoiding core work by focusing on extra tasks might seem like a way to help the team or save the budget, but it often leads to inefficiencies that harm the customer. As a leader, it’s essential to recognize when employees are taking on unnecessary busywork and to guide them back to their core responsibilities. By ensuring that cost-saving efforts don’t come at the expense of customer satisfaction, you can create a more efficient and customer-focused organization.

References:

Freud, S. (1920). Beyond the Pleasure Principle. International Psycho-Analytical Library.

Jung, C. G. (1959). Aion: Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self. Princeton University Press.

Lacan, J. (1977). Ecrits: A Selection. Norton & Company.

#WorkplacePsychology #LeadershipGuide #UnproductiveBusywork #BudgetCutsAndCustomers #BureaucracyAndEfficiency #CorporateCulture #CustomerSatisfaction