2/25/2015

Whyleaniniflazinesscanbejustaseffective?FT.com

February22,201512:37pm

Whyleaniniflazinesscanbejustaseffective?
LucyKellaway

Hardworkisharmingnotonlysleeplessexecutivesbutthecompanies
thatemploythemtoo

heotherdayIhadadrinkwithauniversityfriendwhoisoneofthebusiestwomenIknow.
Foryearsshehasbeenholdingdownabigjobinabigorganisation,dealingwithanex
husband,assortedchildrenanddecrepitparents.
Butsixmonthsagosomethinghappenedtoher.Shefellinloveandwantedtospendevery
spareminutewithhernewman.Thetroublewasshedidnothaveevenminutestospareandso
ratherthanmakefurtherinroadsintothetimeshedevotedtoherchildren,shestartedworking
lessmuchless.Becausesheisseniorenoughtocontrolherschedule,shegetsintotheoffice
later.Sheleavesearlier.Shehasstoppedgoingtomostmeetings.Shenolongersendsemailsin
theeveningsoratweekends.Sheavoidsnetworkingevents.Insteadofhavingluncheswith
contacts,sheseesherboyfriendinstead.
LastweekIaskedherwhatthecostofallthisslackinghadbeen
tohercareer.None,shesaid,atriumphantgleaminhereye.Instead,shehadhadherbestsix
monthsever,herbiggestbonusandanevenlargerjobhadbeendangledinfrontofher.
Ispeculatedthatthehappinessoflovemustbethereason.Ithadmadeherfeelinvinciblelife
hastheunfairwayofofferinggreatthingstopeoplewhentheyarealreadyonaroll.
Nonsense,shereplied.Shehassimplydiscoveredthatlessismore.Shehasbecomelazier,
whichhasmadehermuchmorefocused.Shespendstimeonlyonthethingsthatreallymatter,
andeverythingelse,sheeitherdoesnotdoatall,ordelegatestosomeoneelse.
Thisexperiencehasledhertoanewtheoryofsuccessthatsayslazinessisgood.Itisonlyby
beinglazythatwebecometrulyefficient,andcometoseewhatisimportantandwhatisnot.
Thetroublewithwomen,shewenton,isthatwetrytoohard.Wemakeourselvesmartyrsto
industriousness,andfarfromthatbeingoursecretadvantage,itisourundoing.Ifonlywe
werelazierwewoulddobetter.
Notonlyissheright,hertheoryisthrillinglyseditious.Leanin,saysthecorporatequeen,
SherylSandberg,whileeverybignameCEOwarnstheiracolytesthatiftheydonotlikegetting
upat4amanddoingtheiremailswhileontherowingmachine,theyarenotgoingtomakeitto
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Whyleaniniflazinesscanbejustaseffective?FT.com

thetop.
Myfriendisnotthefirstpersontoseethewrongnessinthis.HelmuthvonMoltke,headofthe
Prussianarmy,gotthereacenturyandahalfbeforeherbydevisingoneoftheworldsfirst
managementmatrices.Heassessedhisofficersontwoscales:clevervsdimandlazyvs
energetic,andcameupwiththefollowingfourpermutations.
DimandlazyGoodatexecutingorders.
DimandenergeticVerydangerous,astheytakethewrongdecisions.
CleverandenergeticExcellentstaffofficers.
CleverandlazyTopfieldcommandersastheygetresults.
ThesystemworkedprettywellforthePrussianarmy,andcouldsurelyworkjustaswellin
moderncorporations.Alas,insteadofdeployingsomethingsobracinglyhonest,management
theoristshavetakenvonMoltkesideaandruineditbyturningitintothewishywashymodern
skillwillmatrix.Accordingtothis,thepersonwhoiscleverandlazy(orhighskill/lowwill)
isnotdeemedtohavewonthelottery.Theyaredeemedtobeinneedofcoaching.
Laziness,accordingtothemodernview,islikeanillnessorsomethingweneedtobecoached
outof.Instead,asmyfriendhasdemonstrated,thereverseistrueitissomethingsenior
executivesneedtobecoachedinto.
Justtobeclear:thesortoflazinesstoencourageisnottheslobbishvarietythatmeansyoudo
badwork.Thatisnotlaziness:itisstupidity.Instead,weneedthecleverversionthatcomes
fromknowingthereisanopportunitycosttoeveryminutewespendworking,soweuseour
timewisely.
Neverhastheelevationoflazinessbeenmoreneededattheverytop.Hardworkisnotonly
harmingsleeplessexecutivesbutishurtingthecompaniesthatemploythem.Accordingtoa
studyatBainlastyear,oneweeklyexecutivemeetingatonelargecompanyateup300,000
personhoursayear.
AsimilarMcKinseystudyshowedthatonlyhalfofcompanyleadersspendenoughtimeon
businesspriorities,fritteringawaytheirdaysonemail,meetings,schmoozingandfirefighting.
Myfriendhasbeencuredofallthisthroughlove.Sinceasimilarcurefortherankandfileof
seniorexecutivesisnotpractical(andpossiblynotdesirable),somethingelsemustbedevised
instead.Fortunately,mostofusarenaturallylazyandsowhatwemustdoisfindawayof
coaxingourinneridlerbacktolife.Settingthealarmclockforanhourlaterisagoodwayto
begin.
lucy.kellaway@ft.com
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Whyleaniniflazinesscanbejustaseffective?FT.com

Twitter:@lucykellaway
RELATEDTOPICS Managing Yourself, Managing Others, Leadership

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