What I do is not who I am. What about you? A recent article by Josh Leves (read it here) tackles the dangers of workism. Leves argues that we need to separate our sense of identity form our job. Which can be difficult, for many people their job is their principal source of personal identity.
This become a problem when it means we are always connected and missing out on time with families and friends. It can also have devastating impacts when things go awry at work and it leaves us emotionally devastated and potentially depressed. And not surprisingly, it frequently leads to overwork, which is a problem, because research is clear that employee output falls sharply after a 50-hour work-week.
The article is a great read, with some good practical pointers, beginning with how we raise our children! Executives need to set the example, and ultimately the business can then create cultures that push against the toxicity of workism.