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Remember that classic 1970s TV series 'The Good Life'? (It was called
'Good Neighbors' in the US). Its central characters, Tom and Barbara, would
now be called 'downshifters': people who jump out of the rat race to lead a
more simple life. In the 21st century, downshifting is 'in'. This has
serious implications for businesses large and small.
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A recent report by market analysts Datamonitor* found that in order to
simplify their lives, an increasing number of people are volunteering to
reduce the amount of work they do. Many are managers who have been highly
successful in their careers. Many are taking significant pay cuts in order
to 'escape'.
The report showed that the number of downshifters in Britain grew to
about 2.6 million in 2002. The figure in 1997 was 1.7 million. Across Europe
the number grew by over 5% per annum over this period. There seems no reason
why this trend would not be similar in most developed countries.
The reasons for the trend include "too many demands on time [and]
too much information", according to the report's author, Dominik
Nosalik. The research showed that "the internet, emails and mobile
phones [have] added to employees' feelings of being overworked. People felt
that, because they could work anywhere, they were working everywhere."
(Can you see the paradox here? The increased availability of technology
that is supposed to make our lives easier is contributing to feelings of
quite the opposite.)
Now I think it's fantastic that more and more people are questioning
their careers and opting to simplify them. Having done it myself, and as an
advocate of simplification, I could hardly do otherwise. But there are other
issues here.
It is costly for businesses to lose good people - and their knowledge -
to the downshifting trend. What's more, for every downshifter, there must be
several others who feel similarly overwhelmed but don't feel they can face
the risks of downshifting. These people can't be working at their peak.
Surely it would be better for all if people were able to simplify the
jobs they are doing, rather than downshifting out?
It can be done. But it requires managers at all levels to commit to
finding simpler ways of working and more mature ways of using technology.
And it requires a team effort. After all, Tom and Barbara only achieved the
'good life' by committing to it and working at it together.
-- David Brewster runs Business
Simplification, an organization dedicated to reducing the complexity of the
modern workplace. Visit www.businesssimplification.com
for more information and contact details.
June 3, 2003
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