Fake Work;
By Brent D. Peterson and Gaylan W. Nielson;
Simon Spotlight Entertainment SSE;
Pages: 245; Price: $25
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Caught in the activity trap? Always busy and yet at the end of the day do not seem to have achieved anything productive? Welcome to the world of fake work, which according to authors Brent Peterson and Gaulan Nielson has insidiously crept into literally every workplace today. Indeed, fake work has got so institutionalised in companies — especially those belonging to the knowledge economy — that most people stop recognising it as such, and get frustrated and stressed when goals are not met. It is the main reason we have moved from 45-hour work weeks to 60-hour work weeks.
Of course, we are well aware of many activities (purposeless meetings, meaningless paperwork, empty training initiatives) that are an utter waste of time. But this book goes far beyond the Dilbert strips that poke merciless fun at unproductive corporate culture, and proceeds to shatter many of the illusions we nurture about our work. As you read on, you are horror-struck at the countless activities that take up our precious time and energy, and contribute nothing at all to the company’s goals.
The book includes a diagnostic quiz whereby you can gauge how much of your work is fake. According to the authors, most people who took the quiz had average scores of 25-35 (out of 50), which showed that over 50 per cent of the work we do is fake. Even when we are aware of it, we are often drawn into fake work because of other people’s needs and personalities. The book says that there are some personality traits that seem to specialise in creating fake work for others — too true, as you are bound to recognise the boss types and the work patterns listed here.
After the diagnosis, the book moves into solution mode and provides remedies to get out of the fake work trap. It is a book for both companies and individuals. Who knows it might even help you get down to doing some real work
This review was published in the Businessworld Issue Dated 26 May-01 June 2009
Book Reviews 
Fake Work; 
