Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Appearances are often deceiving. As managers, we know this, but…

A long, long time ago, I was sitting in a chair against the wall in a meeting. The important persons were huddled around the meeting table discussing what important persons discuss around meeting tables.

To this day, I have no idea what they were discussing. I was leaning back against the wall blissfully doodling with pencil and notepad. I drew pictures of trees and houses. Funny how I remember what I was drawing but nothing of the meeting.

After the meeting ended, one of the important persons at the table came to me and told me how impressed he was with me and my studious recording of the meeting in my notes. Wow.

It is pretty easy to look like you are working.

It is pretty easy to be working and look like you are napping.

Everyone knows these things, but we don’t all act like we know them. We chastise persons for not paying attention, for staring off into space instead of “working.” Why is that?

Looks can be deceiving. There is no rule preventing me from being the person who acts like I know this.