The Busyness Paradox

Frank and Paul

The world of work is a world of paradox. In this podcast, we tackle your everyday workplace or office environment topics, challenges, or activities. We also discuss trends and strategy in business. Our end goal is to help managers stamp out bad practices and help employees deal with them. Drs. Frank Butler and Paul Harvey, two management professors, co-host this podcast. We encourage your participation in our podcast by asking questions or sharing your experiences with us. read less
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Episodes

Excessively Lean: When a Lack of Slack Bites You in the Back
Feb 20 2023
Excessively Lean: When a Lack of Slack Bites You in the Back
We all know the story. After worshipping at the altar of "lean" for decades, we spent two years wondering where all the toilet paper and pickup trucks went. Covid reminded us that too much efficiency could be colossally inefficient, slack was back, hooray. Then you tried to board that Southwest flight a couple months ago and you realized the germ-like aversion to slack had taken root far beyond the manufacturing sector. In this episode, we discuss how keeping "slack in the system" in all aspects of our lives helps us stay happy, productive, and safe from the horrifying dystopia foretold by Garfield In Paradise. (chrome, chrome, chrome…bop bop a re-bop)Mentioned in this episode:1:40 - Episode #50: Unions, Strikes, and Your Rights with Dan Gilmore3:20 - FTC Holds Public Forum on Proposed Rule Banning Use of Non-Compete Agreements10:20 - The Employment Situation - December 202210:50 - Episode #48: Let’s Get Down(sized)!11:05 - The Lords of Easy Money: How the Federal Reserve Broke the American Economy14:20 - Billionaire Charlie Munger says to stop complaining everyone is five times better off than they used to be15:00 - The 15-Hour Workweek15:40 - Episode #41: Time For Niksen (not that Nixon)20:15 - Why 2023 Could Finally Be the Year of the 4-Day Workweek20:15 - Episode #44: Charlotte Lockhart and the 4-Day Week25:20 - Southwest Airlines Has Fallen Apart39:00 - Garfield in Paradise Come visit us at busynessparadox.com to see episode transcripts, blog posts and other content while you’re there!
The Quiet Quitting Quagmire
Sep 12 2022
The Quiet Quitting Quagmire
By now you've probably heard about "quiet quitting," the latest workplace trend to blow the minds of journalists and social media posters alike. This stunning act of rebellion involves employees doing the work they are paid to do. Seriously. That's what quiet quitting is. It's neither quiet nor quitting, but it's a movement nonetheless. The hoopla, of course, is about what these mutinous workers are NOT doing. They're not making charitable donations of their time and energy to their employers. They're not responding to work emails at their kids' birthday parties. They're not spending extra (unpaid) hours in the office as a matter of course. They're not viewing the contents of their job descriptions as "the bare minimum." And so, in solidarity with this movement, we present a stripped-down, "bare minimum" deep-dive into quiet quitting. Articles and Books Discussed in this Episode:What Is Quiet Quitting on TikTok?If Your Co-Workers Are ‘Quiet Quitting,’ Here’s What That MeansQuiet Quitting: Why Doing the Bare Minimum at Work Has Gone GlobalEmployees Say ‘Quiet Quitting’ Is Just Setting Boundaries. Companies Fear Long-Term EffectsA Look at 'Quiet Quitting' — and Whether It's a Good or Bad ThingThe Backlash to Quiet Quitting Smacks of Another Attempt by the Ruling Class to Get Workers Back Under Their Thumbs: Am I Wrong?Tessa West: Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About ThemClick here to see the transcript for this episodeCome visit us at busynessparadox.com to see episode transcripts, blog posts and other content while you’re there!
WFH is Dead! Long Live WFH!
Apr 23 2022
WFH is Dead! Long Live WFH!
Every few months someone proclaims the death of this working-from-home silliness. Citing indisputably indisputable sources, they assure us that our long nightmare of comfort and efficiency is over. "Rejoice!" they tell us! All who toil in their comfy clothes under the scornful eye of their pet cat, "Buttons"...fear not! The commutes, cubicles, and in-person meetings that are the God-given right of every man, woman and child with at least an associates degree from a regionally accredited college or university will be yours again soon. But then someone invariably comes along with "comprehensive data" that "reflects the real world" and ruins the party. Alas, it's our sad duty to report new evidence that, once again, confirms our darkest fears: that every job and every employee is different and that cramming us all back into the one-size-fits-all world that recognized the sanctity of on-site work just ain't happening. Sigh. Links to People, Publications, and Podcasts Mentioned in This Episode:0:24 - John Martin, Ph.D., Wright State University0:27 - Fed-Up Managers Declare Wfh Is Over, as 77% Say They’d Fire You or Cut Your Pay for Not Coming Back to the Office1:04 - Asana Report: Anatomy of Work Global Index1:16 - Shady Stats and the Status Quo9:12 - Inflation and the Paradoxical Pay Raise15:15 - SHRM (Society for Human Research Management)25:36 - The Efficiency Paradox26:21 - BS Jobs28:09 - Manage Things, Lead People: The Curt Tueffert Interview30:22 - The "Year of Structure" Episodes: The Four-Day Work Week The Year of Gettin' S**t DoneVisit us at busynessparadox.com for the transcript to this episode. Check out some of our blog posts and other content while you’re there!Come visit us at busynessparadox.com to see episode transcripts, blog posts and other content while you’re there!