Study the past if you would define the future.
~Confucius
Some call it the “Culture of Hustle,” and as business coaches, VIM Executive Coaching has seen this culture manifest itself in a hundred different ways. The latest research shows, of course, what we have always known: no one wants to be burned out, no one wants to spend years in retirement feeling like they have washed up on shore unable to enjoy life.
Though Gen-Z is prominently featured as the latest to reject the hustle and gut-wrenching “need” to be successful at all costs, we can guarantee that generations past have felt the same way.
We well remember from our own past, “executives” who were over-the-top, ego-driven, rather angry and irritating personalities who bulldozed their way top the top, however they viewed the top.
What was never realized
For the most part, what was never truly realized, was that executive leaders who pushed, shoved, demanded, demeaned and discarded their subordinates, were themselves discarded and most often, loathed. Worse, it led to rejections of creativity, team play and common purpose.
Hustling as a corporate cultural idea has never really worked. Sorry, but it hasn’t. In fact VIM Executive Coaching has seen that driven executive leaders who, in turn, drive staff for a perceived outcome, have often neglected basic human, core values.
Some executive leaders with a narrow view have taken on the concept of hustle to the point where their companies were molded in their narrow visions. Serious issues such as racism, antisemitism, gender and identity harassment have generally come out of an unwillingness to accept human values and compassion. Leaders who have traditionally failed to see this, have nurtured and reinforced toxic workplaces.
When the culture of hustling and eventual burn-out are championed, it is a virtual guarantee that good people will leave. It is happening with increased frequency. In 2021, when the so-called “Great Walkout” occurred, it wasn’t because people enjoyed the idea of unemployment, rather that they were angry, burned-out and often, depressed.
What, many asked, is the sense of it all? Are modest salary gains worth the trade-off of being demeaned or listening to harassment and other negative behaviors? It is no surprise that many would rather take huge pay and benefit cuts and live in peace rather than to chase the dreams of an egotistical management team.
To help solve an argument
It might be argued, of course, that if everyone walked away, there would be no progress, no business, no innovation or even revenues. To help solve that argument, we would like to point out that there are companies that are thriving and enjoying success, creativity and revenues. In fact, while they may be having some trouble recruiting at present, they are having less trouble than other organizations.
The difference between these more enlightened organizations and many of those that still celebrate the grind of the culture is mindfulness. Mindfulness asks “Who are we, where are we going, what are our values, what do we celebrate?”
Mindfulness is a critical differentiator and an essential key to employee retention, improved creativity and an antidote to workplaces filled with dread and burnout.
As the ancient Confucius quote accurately underscores, to continue to celebrate and hustling, burnout culture just won’t work anymore – and with good reason. Despite all of our digital toys and the software that drives them, the workplace is still a human place; to not see that humanity is a recipe for failure.