Comment Very true (Score 1) 135
This is a great summary/article. And lets be honest here, most 'office' based people only have so much they really need to do on their current projects. You can sit at your desk for hours making work, writing emails, or sit though endless meetings where nothing is decided and the action plan in the minutes always unashamedly reads "x to report back next week with a final decision", when that decision was the purpose of the meeting.
Contrast this with the more "Scandinavian" model where people come in, figure out what needs to be decided and work together to sort it out as directly as possible, and quite often end up getting home by quarter to five to see their kids come in. And I don't mean they're trying to minimise their work contribution - its just that unless you're kidding yourself about how important you are, there really isn't that much to do!
Of course the exception here is the creative individuals who choose to work much more than they need for their own satisfaction. But often the bosses won't know they are anyway so I don't think the article applies to them.
In the UK I think we have it about half way between the US and Scandinavian models, although neither are anywhere near as bad as Hong Kong, where meetings can last ALL DAY (up to 8pm), and you walk out realising that nothing was decided and a new event has appeared on your calender - same time next week!
