Carl Tyler's Blog :: Are Americans the hardest working people in the World?

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This discussion came up during lunch the other day with work colleagues, and a healthy discussion followed. My personal feeling on this is that Americans typically talk a really good story, but the reality of how hard they work is often very different. I actually believe that about 25% of Americans are doing all the work and supporting the other 75% of slackers. The slackers may spend long hours at the office and have less holiday, but whilst they're at work they tend to be pretty inefficient and get less done. Most slackers are the opposite of ducks, there is a lot of activity going on up top, but underneath very little is happening. This can often be seen in the number of meetings people have, having lots of meetings does not equal getting lots of work done.

When I arrived from the UK, I was amazed at how innefficient many things were in the US office, things that would take 2 days to turn around in the UK, would take 2 weeks in the US. This could also have been a Lotus culture thing, I am sure now the same process that used to take 2 weeks in Lotus is now taking 2 months in IBM

I am fortunate in that most of the people I consider friends and the people I work with fall into the 25%, and they work their butts off.

Anybody else have thoughts on this?

Comments

1 - There are plenty of lazy folks everywhere, but the culture is just different too. I worked for a company with a German parent, and getting anything done or approved through them would take FOREVER, whilst in the US we were very nimble and quick to turn things around. I guess it's your perspective.

Also, I had a boss at the last place that was micro-manager meeting guy. My line to describe him was "He confuses activity with accomplishment." Basically I called him on it several times when we were co-workers, and then later he became my boss. Shortly therafter I was laid off, go figure.

So I think there are hard workers/lazy people everywhere, just depends on the luck of the draw who you run into.

-Grey

Posted by Greyhawk68 At 12:48:31 PM On 07/21/2004 | - Website - |

2 - It's your background son. I found it difficult deligating to others as it always seemed to take for ever for the task to get done. Its just that the 25% you talk about can complete the work faster and hence appear to be harder working - they are working just as hard if not harder but just haven't got the same capabilities (or is it just drive!)

Posted by Dad At 03:29:31 AM On 07/22/2004 | - Website - |

3 - Think what could be achieved if a company only had the 25% types working for it. Was that the IBM of the 60's when its workforce was respected by Watson & Co and could walk on water

Posted this on the wrong page previously - stupid or what