Excellence University Journal

The Cost of “Frenzied Doing�

by Dr. Brian Higley

July 24th, 2006

I’ve seen first hand the incredible cost of what is sometimes called “Frenzied Doing”, an approach to work (and sometimes life) that promotes the idea that there is not enough time to systematically implement new ideas into the workplace.  Frenzied doing is most often present in people who are too busy to think about what they (and/or their teams or families) are doing on a regular basis. Their days are often 10-15 hours of work, work, work – without an end in sight. When people tell them “you need to stop working so much”, they say something like, “I can’t” or “I know, I know – next year maybe.”  Sometimes people are proud of this level of constant work, so I want to take some time to discuss the negative impact of Frenzied Doing on the frenzied AND on those around them.

The frenzied doer. The frenzied doer is quite often stressed and distracted. He or she may have difficulty sleeping and cannot take time off without a certain level of guilt and/or fear.  It is difficult for a person with this lifestyle to determine what is most important, so they simply continuously work at what is most accessible.  The long-term impact on the frenzied doer is burnout and dissatisfaction, and too often they leave a fall-out that goes beyond themselves.  For more on Frezied Doing, read Brian Mistler’s article on the “Whack A Mole” phenomenon.

The frenzied fall-out. Very often, the frenzied doer leaves quite a bit of carnage in his or her wake – both professional and personal wreckage. Those who are working with or for the frenzied doer often experience what scientists call the “stress contagion effect,” or feeling as though another person’s problems are their own problems. Thus, the frenzied doer spreads the effects of this lifestyle to employees, co-workers, friends, and family members – creating great strain on their businesses and their loved ones. In sum, we’ve found that frenzied doing is nothing to ignore (or be proud of); a frenzied lifestyle can be incredibily damaging and needs to be attended to as soon as possible.

Article Filed under: I. WATER (Team/Group Excellence)