While I was studying at college I thought that I would like to be a person super dedicated to work, who spend 16 hours a day, 7 days a week working for a project or a company. I used to compare it to the life that many Wall Street traders have and I cannot stop find fascinating those days. Today and after a few years in the labor market I gain some knowledge about the value creation process and people’s valorization, that have changed my mind.
In the weeks that I work more than I should in my company, I begin to realize that things that are happening around me are completely passing by me without noticing them. In those weeks when I meet a friend I cannot seem to have another topic of conversation besides work because it was in fact the only thing that I did, talked and listening during the week. The society, economy, technology, environment, etc, are bypassing me those weeks.
Ever more a person specialized in one thing can be an excellent professional that many companies want to have, but will have limitations in creating value in a rapid change world. It is absurd that one person after 30 years of work concludes at the end of their working life that only can do one thing in the labor market. We have to be aware of everything around us to understand the best way to create value. We have always to be learning, use several types of knowledge’s and innovate. We have to understand the changes in society to conclude the future needs and pains that will need to be solved. But for that we cannot work many hours.
It was no coincidence that one of 2015 objectives of Mark Zuckerberg is to read a new book every week from different cultures and different parts of the world. It’s not exactly leisure, but a way to understand global society to thereby achieve the best way to create value. We must have time to do different things, to interact with different people, to know different cultures and to learn new things.
If we all to this, the few hours of effective work will be much more productive, thereby contributing to more efficient and happier organizations. The world is not a straight line and find the best way forward requires time.