The Art of being busy!

This is not so much about being busy per se, but more to do with what it communicates and what it communicates is very important to the image you’ll have in the organization you work. Lets take for instance you see your Manager walking in & out of meetings carrying files & a tense look on his face, the thoughts running in your head are “Oh my God, he must be going through hell”. Indirectly it communicates that you cannot disturb him & that if you want to discuss your long leave this is not the right time.

Most of the time people are busy only because they have a lot of things to do. They are running against time & running against deadlines. Like someone told me recently, if he knew someone selling time, he would buy it immediately. The present day jobs are like this and everybody must have faced this situation at least a few times.

Are busy people really busy? Or is it more an act? Or are they just confused with what they are supposed to do? Or are they not interested in anything other than their work hence use the “I’ am busy” tag? Whatever the case, the fact of the matter is if you are not busy, then something is really wrong with you. Being busy commands respect. It communicates to the others that you are involved in making the next best policy that’ll change the way things happen in the company. It also indicates that you are a lot into your job & that you want to leave a mark behind in that role. So therefore the need of the hour for a successful career is to be busy.

Here is a first hand tutorial on how to look very busy in your workplace.

- If your office hours are 9 – 6, then ensure you leave office at 10 PM everyday
- Have a totally harassed look on your face. Feel lost.
- Prepare detailed ‘to do’ lists & take print outs of it & put it on your desk everyday
- Have at least dozen post-its stuck on your computer
- Never finish any task given to you on time. Take at least a few hours extra to finish it.
- When someone approaches you for a conversation, complain to him or her about your busy work
- Make people follow up with you a hundred times for getting their work done.
- Eat your lunch late & hurriedly
- Ensure to take all the time you think you require to answer all your phone calls and remember to talk loudly and remember to make a face every time the phone rings

Last but not least, ensure you are constantly improvising on the art of being busy and constantly go on increasing the above list.