Is your work time taken up by mandatory tasks that have no discernable value? (Consider the iconic “TPS report,” from the cult film Office Space, an ostensibly useless administrative report whose form is far more important to the boss than its content.) Or does your boss ask you to do things that fall outside of the bounds of professional expectations for your role? Barbara, an investment analyst, recalls the insult and awkwardness of being asked to serve coffee to a group of bankers right before presenting the analysis supporting a corporate acquisition. When you’re forced to spend time and energy on tasks that neither create value nor make use of the skills for which you were hired, you have less of these precious resources to devote to your most valuable work. Worse yet, meaningless or inappropriate tasks constitute an assault on your dignity — by breaching the core requirements of your job, they convey disrespect and violate your sense of self.
How to Know Whether You’re Giving Your Team Needless Work
Research shows that low-value tasks hurt employee well-being.
August 26, 2016
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Team Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Build a better team and achieve more of what matters.