Are Lazy People The Best Employees?

Bill Gates believes you should hire lazy people, as one of his most famous words is: "Choose a lazy person to do the hard work because the lazy person will find an easy way to do it." I agree with the hypothesis that choosing someone who does the work required of them "The easy way" and solving the complex problem you face is better than hiring your most enthusiastic team to solve it.

The most complex way is often not the best way. In fact, in the world of startups, excellent customer service can be just as dangerous as regular service when time and money are limited resources. In this case, the simplest solution to the problem will be more effective. The person who chooses the lowest fruit, the easiest methods, and takes a vacation is not necessarily lazy; it makes them good at setting priorities, efficient workers, and more adaptable.

Classifying all these behaviors as laziness is inaccurate and also laziness. It is easy to say this word to us and others alike. You may describe a colleague who missed a deadline despite having plenty of time to be lazy or call those who prefer to sleep rather than go to the gym, but it is not that easy. Laziness is not a problem; it is a sign of illness, and we often refuse to see it this way because the deep reasons for our reluctance to take action can be uncomfortable.

We need to know the reasons anyway because it's what's holding us back, not laziness.

At first, laziness is often a sign that we need to rest, and I want to clarify that rest does not mean laziness.

It's a common misconception; they often look the same: relaxing instead of working and prioritizing personal tasks over a professional or not waking up at 6 am is lazy. So, the culture of tech organizations generally suffers from this problem. The concept of productivity is more important than actual productivity.

Sometimes, the most productive work you can do is rest, and as I mentioned before, rest is critical to productivity. Rest is part of the job; one cannot work without the other. You can allocate time for rest during work days, such as hiking. It can be effective in generating creative ideas, and long breaks are critical in avoiding fatigue, and what may seem lazy to others may make you better.

The secret is to rest when you decide to rest; don't disturb your comfort by checking your phone, and don't respond to emails on your vacation, take time to relax, and give your colleagues this space as well, as they are likely to come back excited and better prepared for work.

What else can we discover from laziness?

Suppose you take enough rest but still have the problem of not feeling motivated during working hours, does that make you lazy?

It's not that simple. Most of us blame ourselves for lack of motivation because we consider it a personal failure. Instead of criticizing yourself, what if you start asking questions? Try asking yourself why you avoid specific tasks, and don't limit yourself to easy answers. You may not be motivated in your job right now because you're not learning anything new and afraid of the changes accompanying progress or failure itself, such as your fear of the failure of your ambitious project.

Solving the problem of laziness is one of the most complicated matters. To address it in others, address them in a deeply empathetic manner. It is not easy to talk about fears stemming from incompetence or loss of meaning in your work. It is a human problem, not a problem of results, but it affects the results.

But communicating with others at work makes people more productive. By asking questions instead of assuming that laziness is the cause, you will understand the problem. To identify these problems you are going through, you must evaluate the information you have collected by assuming that laziness is the problem. Determining what is holding you back, whether your tendency to perfection or low self-efficacy, is the first step towards action.

The risk of laziness is that it will turn into inertia, so make decisions that address the root cause. The result will not only be more productive; it will be happier. So, this is important, not only because you are a person worthy of happiness, but also because happy people at work are more successful, where emotions affect thinking. If you are more satisfied with your work, your thoughts and actions will follow these positive influences.

What to do about it?

Take advantage of the principle of progress, which states: “Of all the things that can enhance feelings, motivation, and perceptions during the workday, the single most important thing is to make progress in meaningful work.” A sense of progress and enjoying small gains can help fight that voice that says the work is too hard or the project is too big to accomplish.

Rest a little and take a nap. Studies show that a 30-minute nap can get performance back on track, and a 60-minute nap can improve performance; that is, if you feel lazy, this may be proof that it's time to take a break. Also, remember that busyness is different from productivity, and spending your time in a quick nap may be better.

Focus on other things where the lack of meaning in your work is a key factor in reducing motivation. If you do not want - or are not in a position - to make a significant change, note the people your work affects and the results you achieve. This shifts the focus from the tasks you need to accomplish to how to help people internally and externally.

You have to relax; relaxation can be terrifying, especially for business owners; that's how it was for me until I realized that the work I was postponing was work I shouldn't have done in the first place. I felt lazy when I entrusted these tasks to other people, but now, they are carried out enthusiastically by someone who knows more about them than I do, as I have time to do the work that excites me.