The world has changed. It is felt in the software. It is felt in the internet. It is felt in the computer.
Much that once was is lost. For none now work who remember it.
The Routine of Power
It began with the forging of the Great Routines:
- Three were given to the Elves–immortal, algorithmic, and most efficient of all. 🧝♀️
- Seven to the Dwarves–miners and hackers of the processors.
- And nine to the race of Men–above all else, they desired power.
For within these Routines was the speed and expertise to govern each company.
But they were all deceived. For another Routine was made in the land of Stressor in the fires of Mount Mindless. The Dark Overlord Busyron forged in secret a master Routine to control all others.
And into this Routine, he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all work… One Routine to rule them all. 😈
One by one, the free companies of Middle Internet fell to the power of the Routine.
But there were some who resisted. ⚔️ A final alliance of men, elves, and dwarves marched against the forces of Stressor and onto the slopes of Mount Mindless. They fought for the freedom of Middle Internet.
Victory was near, but the power of the Routine could not be undone.
It was in this moment when all hope had faded, that Innovator – son of King Creator – took up his father’s sword.
Busyron – enemy of the free companies of Middle Internet – was defeated…
The Routine passed to Innovator, who had this one chance to destroy sluggishness forever. But the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the Routine of Power has a will of its own…
History became Legend. And Legend became Myth. 📜
The One Routine
Clear as red flame, a secret only raging fire can tell, the writing on the inside of the Routine reads:
Passing from controller to controller, something happened that it did not intend. It was picked up by the unlikeliest of creatures possible…
For the time will soon come when hobbits will shape the futures of all.
The Fellowship of the Ring
In recent weeks, there’s been an uptick in mentions of the term “quiet quitting”. Chances are, if you frequently browse Forbes, CNBC, or BBC news, you’ve encountered the term.
The term seems to have sprung up from the current zeitgeist of employee sentiment. That’s because there’s no clear indication of where the term originated, let alone who coined it. However, it’s become especially popular this year, in part thanks to the social media platform TikTok.
It’s a rejection of the “Protestant work ethic” that’s espoused in several societies, that a person can only be successful if they pull their way up the ladder through sheer self-reliance and perseverance.
In other words, no more “deskfasts” (when you eat breakfast at your desk), no more working through lunch, and no more staying late at the office or working atrocious hours. No more sacrificing birthday parties with family and friends, no more skipped soccer games, and no more prioritization of work over life.
Combine this with the “great resignation”, when record numbers of workers quit their jobs, and it’s easy to conclude that the mood in the air is one of dissatisfaction born of individuals who feel they can’t speak their minds at the workplace. Others speculate that these are the result of a generation of workers who are burned out and flocking towards positions with more flexible conditions and better pay.
The Two Towers
With inflation rampant and a global recession looming, companies are starting to derisk with massive layoffs.
No wonder the current generation of employees is confused in these uncertain times. You can dedicate your evenings and your weekends, pushing yourself to the breaking point, only to get laid off. It may seem that no matter how hard you work or how much you try, there might not be a raise, promotion, or even job security around the corner.
That’s probably why “Millenials” and “Generation Z” are taking steps to create more “me” time and a better work-life balance.
On the flip side, those critical of the concept of quiet quitting would argue that clocking in, doing your job, and clocking out forces others on the team to pick up the slack to meet shared goals.
The Return of the King
Considering the highly personal nature of quiet quitting, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing one’s issues. However, there are some simple steps that can be taken to close the gap between employer and employee.
- Encourage communication – Companies do routine check-ins or teams set up one-on-ones so that employees have a chance to voice their concerns. Regardless of whether or not they occur in person or on Zoom, having them creates a channel for discussing workplace issues.
- Manage performance – It’s important for boundaries and responsibilities to be set up so that employees can manage their daily workload. Tracking performance can help alert you if you’re putting your team in position for success or if burnout is starting to take root. Additionally, providing learning opportunities and downtime can allow staff members to pursue their own interests and upskill. Such an approach could benefit the company in the long term.
- Foster trust – Everyone in the professional world is of legal age. In other words, everyone’s an adult and they’re capable of making their own decisions. So long as the work gets done within a reasonable time frame, outdated management practices such as the 9-to-5 clock, time-tracking, and “doctor’s notes” can be tossed out the window.
These are just a few simple actions that can be done to address and prevent worker overload, employee burnout, and concerns that would lead one to quietly quit.
And they aren’t the only ones. As seen in the comic above, leveraging technology in the right way can smooth out many kinks and hang-ups in work processes.
People are always busy with something. If they think a task isn’t high on the list of priorities, they’ll push it off for later – i.e., “Let the tomorrow version of me handle it since the today version is too busy.”
Worse is when a person is constantly dealing with routine admin work. As the saying goes, “Too much can be a bad thing.” This is particularly true in the case of routine, which can grind down a person’s motivation to the point where they could quietly quit.
AXDRAFT was designed to avoid such situations. By dealing with routine legal work that lawyers do on a daily basis, AXDRAFT frees legal teams to pursue more useful and enriching endeavors. If you want to take the next step in helping your legal teams rediscover their love of lawyering, book a demo with our team.
Follow Drafty’s adventures and find out about the challenges he has already tackled in his previous endeavors:
- The Failure of Special Routination
- The Lord of Draftylvania
- Tale of the office jungle
- Drafting Approval and Thunder
- Legal Mortal Kombat
- Legal Operations Ghosts
- Contract Management Abra-Draft-Cadabra
- The Ultimate Contract Bender
- The Big Draft Theory