Way of the Mind

(This is another one from my wiki, slightly edited)

The Fast Worker’s Dilemma is something which intrigues me, and which gets different responses and opinions from different people.

Consider this scenario: you work in a factory, in a production line. The factory produces “Qwerties“. The average production rate for each worker is 10 Qwerties per day.

Now, assume that you find out that you can produce 10 Qwerties in just half a day. That is, you are able to work twice as fast as anyone else, with no loss in quality. What is, to you, the proper procedure, then?

1. You work as fast as you can, producing 20 Qwerties a day (twice as many as any other worker), but earning as much as the others;
2. You work as fast as you can, producing 20 Qwerties a day, and earn twice as much as the others;
3. You work as fast as you can for just half a day, producing 10 Qwerties, and, unless there is an emergency or a colleague needs help, you spend the rest of the day doing things you enjoy;
4. You work more slowly, extending the time you take to produce 10 Qwerties to a full day.

Now, there are two questions: which you think is fair, and which would you do.

Here’s what I’ve seen, from experience:

• a socialist/communist would probably choose 1, since he or she believes the horror of “if you have greater abilities, that just gives you more duties to your brother”, also known as “from each according to ability”, still also known as “being competent is a curse”.
• everyone else would, I believe, choose 2 as the most fair. Unfortunately, that one is mostly utopic, since no employer I’ve had, or heard about, really believes in a direct relationship between work and reward.
• most people, then, do 4 - they pretend. I find that disgusting, but it’s apparently the norm everywhere.
• I tend toward 3. It’s fair, and doesn’t force me to lie about my work. Sometimes it annoys other people, especially “pointy-haired bosses”, though. Even though they know I’m not lazing about, that I’ve already done as much as can be expected from anyone… they would still rather I “acted busy”. Something I refuse to do.

I believe that being able to look at myself in the mirror is more important than sucking up and getting promoted because of it. Yes, I know, I’m a hopeless idealistic.

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Related posts:

1. Fast working… again
2. A job: trade, favor or duty?
3. The Sacrificial Worker
4. Job burnout
5. Misguided consumer “patriotism”