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Work Ethic #1 - Grit

Popular work ethic in consulting 

has aspects of self exploitation. Most consultants I met had a tendency to stretch the definition of 'fit for work' to its limits. I remember an assignment a few years back where I took the 6am flight on Monday and flew to the next client in the middle of the week or home at the end of it. The problem was that at one point during the winter I caught a really nasty flu that would not go away for several weeks. At its peak it was so bad, my ears would pop on the Monday flight and I would only be able to hear everything in a damp, silent mode. It always took a few days until my hearing was back to normal again, and guess what: that was usually just the time I would take the flight back - back to square one. Another issue was that this situation occurred a few weeks before a major go live of our client and the entire project team was on fire pretty much 24/7. After a successful go live and the first week of hypercare, when the excitement of any major snafu slowly dissipated I caved in and went to the doc. He put me on antibiotics and I -admittedly with a certain degree of relief- called in sick. At that point I had also lost some weight and it was great to just recover for some days - besides the antibiotics mostly with selfmade chicken soup. The complete absence of the necessity to go on business travel or to sprint from one deadline to another is something you have to experience every once in a while if you work in a high-takted environment, in order to get both your feet back on the ground.
I am writing this, because looking back this sort of work ethic seems a total irrational behaviour - especially since I am a big advocate of health and wealth balance. (I am not a fan of the 'work-life' distinction, as I still regard work as one major part of life and of most people's identity, whether they admit it or not. Material for another post.) However, if you do it long enough, you'll not only get used to it but you might even learn to enjoy most aspects of this sometimes hectic but privileged work life.

Man Flu

Currently I have a slight cold -the first time I'm sick in one year and 4 months- and I feel like I am a total chicken about it. I don't even have to leave the house for work -in fact I am explicitly asked not to leave the house for work by my employer. I feel in a completely luxurious situation. Looking back to my past work ethic, I am not sure that after almost one and a half years of pandemic I would be able, let alone desire to go back to that kind of self destructive work ethic. The urge for the feeling of one's significance and indispensability has nothing to do with grit, loyalty, passion or drive. It is based purely on the natural desire of everybody to be needed and to have a purpose in what we do. I should have probably gone to bed about an hour ago in order to rest and get some additional sleep. Instead I am writing this blog. This leaves me in doubt whether I have developed consequently and matured sufficiently. However I am working on it. Right here. Right now. Good night.
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