Just along the same tune as my last post, the thought has occurred to me of how many podcasts I listen to regarding work related stuff. Indeed, how many people listen to podcast material that will help them write papers, investigate new avenues and solve problems when lacking knowledge. This set me off on a tagental note of what the workplace has become and where is it going, based on conversations that I have had recently with friends working all over Ireland.
I guess the question is actually two questions, “have podcasts and other technological advancements changed the way in which we work?” and “will managers grasp the notion of people sitting listening to a podcast, is actually work?”
Or is this concept too far removed from the increasingly typical “bums on seats”, figures and working hours, overly simplistic and stupid attitude towards a productive working environment? Too many companies are moving down the road of tracking employees on daily figures rather than overall productivity.
I recently heard anecdotal evidence about the agile development process being horribly mutilated: The enforcement of stricter and stricter two-week deadlines with increasingly unachieveable goals. From what I understood this was purely because the only way to look better on paper was to cram more goals into an already packed schedule. To me it’s a simple equation: work gets done + done on time = everyone’s happy. There is no need for the extra operands of shorter timescales and increased outputs. While these might look good on paper they surely to not contribute to a contented workforce and that pushes back the productivity of anything that has to be done. My musing for the day…