YOU know who you are

[DimPrawn]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4951164.stm

In every office or workplace there is usually at least one - the slacker, the lazy so-and-so, the man forever surfing the net, the woman constantly emailing her mates.
Whatever you wish to call them, the work-shy are seemingly everywhere.

And most people seem to agree - a recent survey by the Investors in People award scheme found that 75% of the UK's workforce think some of their colleagues are not pulling their weight.

Worse still, a great many of the slackers appear to be doing very well for themselves.

Whether through charm, luck, supreme confidence or - as likely - barefaced subterfuge, they have somehow managed to win promotions and rise up through the management ranks.
Their former colleagues may be left aghast, but the senior bosses think the slacker in question is "the best man for the job", "going places" or "a person you can trust".

I thank you

[AlfredJPruffock]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4951164.stm

In every office or workplace there is usually at least one - the slacker, the lazy so-and-so, the man forever surfing the net, the woman constantly emailing her mates.
Whatever you wish to call them, the work-shy are seemingly everywhere.

And most people seem to agree - a recent survey by the Investors in People award scheme found that 75% of the UK's workforce think some of their colleagues are not pulling their weight.

Worse still, a great many of the slackers appear to be doing very well for themselves.

Whether through charm, luck, supreme confidence or - as likely - barefaced subterfuge, they have somehow managed to win promotions and rise up through the management ranks.
Their former colleagues may be left aghast, but the senior bosses think the slacker in question is "the best man for the job", "going places" or "a person you can trust".

I thank you

So called slacking indicates a superior intelligence.

Work is for donkeys, but the so called slacker will be busy socialising and networking and thereby preparing his path for future promotions and pay rises whilst the Donkey workers will receive nothing but the contempt they so richly deserve.

For those Donkey workers I say, if you are so hard working, how is it you are not rich .

[The Lone Gunman]

Oi! I resemble that remark. As Threaded posted elsewhere, of course I dont look busy I did it right first time. I am good and quick I deliver early and then have time to mess around. Part of my deal is support so I cant go home. I wonder if time surfing can be used as an IR35 indicator of ability to profit?

[Lockhouse]

The problem is...

The best people make it look easy...

[threaded]

So called slacking indicates a superior intelligence.

Work is for donkeys, but the so called slacker will be busy socialising and networking and thereby preparing his path for future promotions and pay rises whilst the Donkey workers will receive nothing but the contempt they so richly deserve.

For those Donkey workers I say, if you are so hard working, how is it you are not rich .

Spot on. I have noticed, and if you've contracted for any length of time everyone'll know I'm right: the higher the rate you're paid the less work you have to do.

[dang65]

Isn't there some quote from someone famous which goes something like, "If you want a job done quickly then give it to a lazy person." Makes sense to me. A lazy person wants to get back to surfing the web or whatever so they find instant short cuts and that's it, job done. And they do it just well enough that they won't have to waste a load of time going back over it later.

A "conscienscious" worker will drag the same job out for days making sure every aspect is covered, all the documentation up-to-date, meetings held blah blah blah. Which is probably a really good idea if you're building Space Shuttles or something, but in most work scenarios the boss just wants the job done quickly and that's what he sees the lazy person doing well.

I stumbled across this paradox in the course of a long career as a lazy person, never really understanding why I was kept on during downsizing exercises when other colleagues were leagues ahead of me in skill. Winging it does seem to work quite well, even if you're always live in fear that someone's going to see right through you one day.

[monkeyboy]

I really have to agree with the previous statement.

The only proviso is that you have a realistic view of your abilities and don't take that one promotion to far that will expose you for the lazy person you are.

[BlasterBates]

No you've got it all wrong....now the reason why lazy people get promoted is that managers don't want to be shown up by their subordinates, that's why they promote incompetent people. Its all a big cycle. Company starts off small, everybody is a hardworking genius then over time managers come in and promote people that are slightl less competent than themselves, now if this were to continue, eventually you would find apes and gorillas in senior positions but the company usually goes bust or gets taken over before the IQ levels get below 50.

[Dundeegeorge]

Corollary

No you've got it all wrong....now the reason why lazy people get promoted is that managers don't want to be shown up by their subordinates, that's why they promote incompetent people. Its all a big cycle. Company starts off small, everybody is a hardworking genius then over time managers come in and promote people that are slightl less competent than themselves, now if this were to continue, eventually you would find apes and gorillas in senior positions but the company usually goes bust or gets taken over before the IQ levels get below 50.

Politics.
There's always enough taxpayers money to spend so the country doesn't go bust or get taken over. (hmnnn, let's think about that for a minute)

[XLMonkey]

No you've got it all wrong....now the reason why lazy people get promoted is that managers don't want to be shown up by their subordinates, that's why they promote incompetent people. Its all a big cycle. Company starts off small, everybody is a hardworking genius then over time managers come in and promote people that are slightl less competent than themselves, now if this were to continue, eventually you would find apes and gorillas in senior positions but the company usually goes bust or gets taken over before the IQ levels get below 50.

All wrong, we're monkeys; not apes or gorillas

hth