Hustle CultureE: emailing on Saturdays, 19-hour workdays, and other bad ideas
This week, two news stories caught my attention as top CEOs capitalized on the uncertainty of the moment to boast about their version of hustle culture.
First, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi appeared on an episode of the Diary of the CEO podcast.
Touting his resuscitated bottom line, Khosrowshahi said that employees should not come if they "want to coast".
Furthermore, "If I don’t get a response on Saturday, [I’m] sending them an email on Sunday with a question mark,”.
A second news snippet came from Elon Musk's portfolio of companies. The indefatigable founder is famously hard-driving, sleeping at the office and leveraging ketamine to enhance his stamina.
19-hour workdays are common at Musk companies and a recent Reuters article detailed the many employees who quit, citing unsustainable working conditions.
The exodus of Musk's employees has been a boon for recruiters - they easily scoop up these exhausted, top performers.
The revival of hustle culture
We are living in uncertain times. A war/excursion/massive undertaking is unfolding across the ocean, prices continue to rise, and workers are worried about AI taking their jobs.
As I talk with colleagues and clients, many report streamlining, right-sizing, and lay-offs. The trickle down effects of that reduction in force is that those who are left behind consistently have to do more with less.
Out of fear or overwhelm or punishing expectations from the top, the scope of work is bleeding, more and more, into evenings, weekends, moments spend brushing our teeth etc.
Rhythms of rest and productivity
Let me encourage you - we are not meant to endlessly produce. Like every other created thing on the planet, we are meant to exist within rhythms of rest and productivity.
Studies show that rest increases productivity.
We need moments to step away from the emails and the churn of it all to rejuvenate, to connect with people and places that are life-giving.
Every week, I see some LinkedIn post from a high-achiever that goes something like this:
"My body is finally forcing me to rest. I'm in the hospital with _______"
Truly, the pace of every weekend or 19+ hours a day "on" is a fast-track to burnout (as recruiters reaping the benefit from Musk's exiting employees know).
How to push back
If you are a leader, if you are someone's boss, consider how you might be contributing to an unsustainable pace of work.
Do you send late night emails? There is a power imbalance and an implicit demand that others respond in a similar time frame, pulling them out of rest.
Consider using your "schedule send" button so the email arrives at a more work-friendly hour.
You can also examine how you've let work seep into all hours of your life. Are you checking your work emails first thing in the morning/last thing at night? What does that do to your mind and your presence?
A great way I've found (and facilitate on) is to develop a ritual to signal the end of your workday.
This is a physical, replicable practice that signals to your body that it is time to step away from work.
For some people, that is putting their laptop in the drawer. For others, it is walking the dog or choosing a favorite beverage.
Whatever works for you, what is a practice you can consistently put into place to help you transition from work back into your life?