Turkey Work Weak

For those poor souls employed in retail and awaiting their fate on Black Friday, please skip this article and God Speed. Next year, go on strike.

 

Thanksgiving poses a conundrum for the majority of employers with white collar personnel: the 3-day work week. On paper, three days looks like enough to make a dent in the inbox. In reality, things end before they start. What can be pushed off until Thursday or Friday in a normal work week is either dealt with on the spot or transitioned to the next Monday. The former is ambitious, the latter more likely.

Dude, that shit can wait until Monday.

Many people decide to take the entire week off for Thanksgiving. Flying out of town to see relatives or waiting for relatives to fly in. Shopping, alcohol, turkey, football, octogenarians asking, “What did she say?” and alcohol. For the record, I love Thanksgiving. Rushed after Halloween and eclipsed by Christmas, it’s the middle child holiday. Often discounted, but upon arrival, you realize how much fun it is when you pay attention to it.

Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!

Okay, maybe it’s not worth a week off. Many co-workers feel the same. It’s a 50/50 split on vacation. Half are in the office and the other half on vacation. Work energy begets work energy. When colleagues are not around to add energy, my get up and go is replaced by sit down and eat. This behavior is enabled by the out-of-towners. The less work I push their way, the more I will be appreciated upon their return. The lower the workload, the easier it is for everyone to transition back to a 5-day grind. Wednesday, one meeting: 30-minutes in the AM. Then the schedule is wide open for me to hammer my inbox before the holiday kicks in. I could document an updated process, tighten up some standard operating procedures, and review the latest analytical output that needs further research. All of these sit and wait for my action. I am the catalyst. Potential energy waiting to turn kinetic.

Don't even get me started.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Better yet, if an employee sits at his desk and no one is around to see it, does he complete any assigned work items? No, no he doesn’t. Enjoy your Thanksgiving.