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Ep 9: STUPID BUSY 2/25/25 Listen to Episode 9: Stupid Busy on Apple Podcasts- 2/25/25
Stupid Busy: The Workplace Culture of Getting Nothing Done
February 25, 2025, George Nijmeh
Ever feel like you were insanely busy all day but accomplished absolutely nothing? Yeah, you’re not alone. Welcome to the modern workplace, where being “stupid busy” is a badge of honor, and actual productivity is an afterthought.
We’ve turned busyness into a status symbol. Overflowing inboxes, back-to-back meetings, and constant notifications have replaced real progress. And the worst part? We celebrate it. We equate activity with value, even when that activity leads nowhere.
The ‘Stupid Busy’ Phenomenon
So, what exactly is ‘stupid busy’? It’s that special kind of busy where you’re constantly moving but never progressing. Like running on a treadmill and convincing yourself you’re on a journey.
Here’s a classic scenario: You spend an entire day responding to emails, attending meetings, and updating spreadsheets. You didn’t solve a single problem, create anything useful, or move the business forward—but hey, you sure looked busy. And that’s what matters, right?
Companies love this. We reward the person who stays late instead of the one who finds a more efficient way to finish their work. It’s not about the results anymore—it’s about the optics.
There’s even a Harvard Business Review study on collaborative overload, which basically means too many meetings, too many Slack messages, too many interruptions. All this kills productivity. Big shocker, huh? Who knew that being interrupted every five minutes would make it hard to get stuff done?
Why We Worship Busyness
Okay, but why do we love being ‘stupid busy’? It’s not because we enjoy suffering (well, most of us). It’s because workplace culture has turned ‘busyness’ into a status symbol.
Think about it: How often do people brag about their workload? “Ugh, I’m so slammed right now.” Or the classic “I was on back-to-back calls all day.” Oh wow, Susan, what an inspiration. You sat through meetings all day and accomplished exactly zero. Give her a medal!
We’ve equated hours worked with value delivered. If you’re not overwhelmed, are you even working? And this mentality seeps into leadership, too. How many managers judge productivity based on who’s still at their desk at 6 p.m.?
Spoiler alert: Staying late doesn’t mean you’re a hard worker. It means you're either inefficient or trying to avoid your family. And if you’re a leader encouraging this, you’re not building a strong work ethic—you’re building a workforce of exhausted zombies.
But hey, as long as people look ‘stupid busy’, it must be working, right?
Yeah… no.
How ‘Stupid Busy’ Destroys Workplace Culture
Beyond being annoying, ‘stupid busy’ is actually hurting businesses.
When everyone is drowning in pointless tasks, there’s no time for real work. Creativity and innovation need space, but in hyper-busy cultures, that space is gone.
You want your team to come up with fresh ideas? Cool. Maybe don’t schedule 37 meetings that week.
And let’s talk about competition. When busyness becomes the benchmark, people start competing to ‘look’ busier. You know the type—dramatic sighs, walking fast with a clipboard, sending emails at 10 p.m. just to prove something. It’s performative nonsense.
Worse yet, ‘stupid busy’ punishes efficiency. The engineer who automates a process gets less recognition than the one who brute-forces it with overtime. That’s how you end up with entire teams working harder and accomplishing less.
So yeah, your workplace might be buzzing with activity—but don’t mistake noise for progress.
Breaking Free from the ‘Stupid Busy’ Trap
Alright, enough roasting. How do we fix this mess?
1. Kill Useless Meetings
80% of meetings could be emails. And half of those emails could be deleted. If the meeting doesn’t have a clear agenda or result, cancel it.
2. Encourage Deep Work
People do their best work when they’re allowed to focus. Shocking, right? Create focus blocks—time when notifications are off, meetings are banned, and people can actually do their jobs.
3. Reward Outcomes, Not Hours
Stop giving gold stars to the person who clocks the most time. Recognize the ones who deliver results—whether it takes two hours or ten.
4. Make “No” an Option
Yes, culture creates ‘stupid busy’ teams. Leaders, if your team can’t say no to low-priority work, you’re setting them up for burnout. And employees—start pushing back on the nonsense. No one’s getting promoted for being the busiest doormat.
And if your boss asks why you’re saying no, tell them you’re just avoiding being ‘stupid busy’. Then send them this newsletter.
Final Thoughts
If you recognized yourself in this post—don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’ve all been victims of the ‘stupid busy’ trap. The key is to stop treating activity as an accomplishment and start focusing on impact.
So next time someone brags about how insanely busy they are, hit them with the magic question: “Cool, but what did you actually get done?” Watch their brain short-circuit.
If you liked this memo, share it with your favorite coworker—or that boss who keeps scheduling 7 a.m. meetings because “that’s when the real work happens.”
Stay bold, stay real, and don’t be ‘stupid busy’.
Oh yeah, almost forgot – don’t forget to stay Unstifld!
By: George Nijmeh
Listen to the UNSTIFLD podcast on Apple Podcasts
