You Can Sleep When You’re Dead
Erikson describes a demanding Red boss who values effort, initiative, and results but offers little praise. His advice is to report results briefly and regularly while keeping work from taking over your life.
THE IDEA
YOU CAN SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE DEAD
If you have a boss who is Red, he will work hard, maybe harder than anyone else you’ve ever met. He will have many irons in the fire at once, and he’ll have complete control over everything that’s happening.
A Red can live with the fact that everything won’t be right the first time. But he will demand that you work hard. You should be diligent in everything; feel free to put in overtime if you can. I urge you not to become a workaholic—life has more to offer than work—but from the perspective of a Red boss, this would be a first-class quality. He will hold you in high esteem if he sees your commitment in the form of hard work.
Conclusion: Show that you work hard. You don’t need to run into the Red’s office every five minutes, informing him that last night you stayed at work until half past eleven—he might not even be impressed. He might just ask you whether such a trifling little task like that warranted the time you spent on it. But you should report back regularly about what you have done and present—briefly—the result of your efforts.
Be willing to take initiative. Offer suggestions that the Red didn’t ask for. As usual, get ready for a fight, but he will like that you are driven.
Please note the wording in the preceding sentence. It doesn’t say that he’ll like you because you are driven. It says “like that you are driven.” A Red boss may very well like you—that’s sometimes the case—but don’t expect lots of glowing and pleasant praise.
When to use it
When you have a results-oriented boss, focus on reporting outcomes rather than hours worked.
If you want to propose a new idea to a dominant personality, prepare for a debate but present it confidently.
When you feel undervalued despite long hours, use this model to understand that your boss may appreciate effort differently.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Working Overtime with a Red Boss
An employee stays late to complete a project and the next day reports the results to the Red boss. The boss notes the outcome but does not commend the extra hours, expecting that the task could have been done efficiently. The employee learns to focus on output rather than time spent.
Showing Initiative
An employee offers a new process improvement to the Red boss without being asked. The boss engages in a heated debate but ultimately respects the employee's drive and willingness to challenge the status quo.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How can you demonstrate your work ethic to a demanding boss without falling into workaholism?
What strategies can you use to show initiative in a way that aligns with your boss's values?
How do you maintain motivation when you rarely receive explicit praise for your hard work?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Surrounded By Idiots (Thomas Erikson)