It could
be considered an ironic request to ask a person to take time to reflect on
whether or not workaholism is a part of his or her working life.
But I took
a risk and asked just that question of a CEO following a recent work/life
balance session. His immediate response was “absolutely not,” and shifted
the conversation to the day’s strategic results.
His
response caused me to consider again the paradox that work addiction seems
so often not to be recognized, yet still seems to be somehow rewarded in
today’s business world.
Workaholism has been
given many definitions, but it could be best described as the reliance on
work to define and complete every aspect of ourselves. To discover the
truth about where we fit regarding work addiction requires time to uncover
the truth about our relationship to work. An honest approach to this
process will truly help to build a living workplace.
Certainly,
being a workaholic is not gender or industry specific as seen in articles
such as
“Where
Are the Women” and
“Are
You Working Yourself to Death?”. While these articles would not
appear to be connected, one would ask if there is a point, however subtle,
that brings them together.
We know
that hard work is crucial to perform well in our economy, but work
addiction is not. Workaholism needs to be brought into the light for what
it really is – busyness that steals joy rather than giving it. The
underlying question we need to examine is whether our primary focus in
work is caught up in ‘doing’ or ‘being’ – i.e., do we define ourselves
more by what we do than who we are? Are we addicted to adrenaline or
driven by an unspoken, or even unrecognized, fear?
Related to
our personal inventory is a “soul scan” of work environments that may show
we have come to a point where the willingness to adopt, and even praise
what is clearly addiction to work, exceeds the measure of who we are and
what we believe. What do we praise – the hard work itself or the “selling
of our soul” to work for the so-called benefits it brings?
Several
sources listed in some of this month’s websites carry checklists to assist
you to separate workaholic behaviour from just hard work. It is certainly a
worthwhile endeavour to look at these definitions to uncover possible
underlying contributing factors to work addiction.
Even if
you are not a workaholic by any definition, it is still important to
consider whether or not you give your work greater weight than it is due
in order to bring yourself to a more enriching and psychologically
rewarding life.
If praise
for work accomplishment is crucial to support feelings of self-worth,
self-confidence and self-esteem – could these be the false motivators that
drive us? Or praise based on reputation, recognition and monetary rewards?
Is this what is behind the desire to push ourselves past our limit, to
risk health, family and friends and hold relationships through technology
rather than face-to-face, because of overloaded palm pilots?
These
questions examine the totality of who we are. We must face the truth in
order to unfold the answers that expand our self-knowledge and lead us to
a sense of purpose that extends beyond our work. We must establish noble
goals that further all of humanity and find our divinely inspired purpose
to increase the grace and greatness of the individual.
In all of
this, we will be compelled to remove the shadows of dishonest competition,
fear, anxiety and arrogance – let no place in our souls stay closed!
That is
truly worthy of reflection.
Ann Coombs, is a Thought Leader, Futurist, and President of Coombs
Consulting Ltd. She speaks internationally, and is the author of
Living Workplace: Soul, Spirit, and Success in the 21st Century. Her newsletter ‘The Living Workplace’ provides current trends
and research on the global workplace, and is read by over 250,000 readers
worldwide.
To subscribe, go to http://www.thelivingworkplace.com/
