Something about software development attracts people who are really ambitious. Probably too ambitious, to the point of being obnoxious. Workaholics, if you will 🙂
Anyone who has been in the workplace for more than a couple years, even less, probably knows someone that is way too enthusiastic about their work, to the point that it’s a bit irritating. This wouldn’t be that big of an issue if it didn’t muck things up for everyone in the office or what have you.
The expectation becomes that if one person is putting in 60 hours of work a week (it usually doesn’t matter if the work they’re doing kind of sucks or creates more problems for other people), then why shouldn’t the rest of the team push just as hard? If anything, if said person is this inconsiderate of the team, it is likely that they will try to take credit for what other workers have done, in a selfish move to boost their own reputation. I’ve encountered this situation at Chase (on one of the more toxic teams I’ve ever worked in), where a coworker was trying to take credit for work me and another coworker actually did. He would have gotten away with it if said coworker didn’t have the backbone to go and tell the boss what was really happening.
Never, ever work at Chase! But that’s its own whole post.
I’ve since tried to cultivate a similar sort of courage and impatience with bullying and injustice in my own life. It takes a lot of self-awareness and work, because a lot of the people I looked up to, and still try to emulate when possible, are a lot more risk-averse than I had expected. Luckily, I also have some friends who have had some harsh experiences in life, and have still not lost their appetite for risk and retaining their independence at all costs. I keep these people close and cherish their advice.
For all the stress workaholics cause themselves and others, I’m surprised people don’t talk about them more, so I figured I would add my two cents to the conversation. I personally am not impressed with them, because they could be doing a lot of good for the world, rather than just running around the corporate hamster wheel and diluting the amount of money they earn per hour. It’s painful to watch someone waste their effort and talent like that, especially in light of the fact that there are so many layoffs, even in big companies, which used to be considered much more stable and rewarding places to work.
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Also, I welcome any feedback you may have, and I’d love to hear your thoughts about workaholics or work in the comments!
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