Not a Waste of My Time

This is a saying that I coined when I first started my job as a web developer. I am often asked to perform some mindless, tedious, or ultimately unnecessary task on the whim of one of my superiors. It has become clear to me that many of them know very little about the long-term results of their half-baked ideas, and it is pointless to try to convince them otherwise. Still, I am paid to do a job, so how I spend my time here really isn’t my concern.

I imagine it must be like this in most corporate settings. My father used to tell me that the only qualification to be in management is to know nothing, and my experience has led me to believe him. Those in charge are there because they are good at delegating and probably little else. Still, it is their place to make decisions, even if those decisions are systemically moronic. It is not our battle to fight; leave it to your boss’ boss to find fault.

Thus, no matter what your bosses decide to ask of you, just remember that it’s not a waste of your time. Your time is being paid for by your bosses. Thus, it’s a waste of their time. If you think about it this way, it can make the futility of it all seem a lot more manageable. Let them waste a precious resource if they want. It will ultimately be their own money down the drain.