Can Do #22: How busy are you?
(Ferdinand Hodler, The Kien Valley with the Bluemlisalp massif, 1902)
Welcome to edition #22 of Can Do, a newsletter where I share my journey of building a Career Multiverse™.
You can also read my previous editions and follow me on Twitter.
Newsletter at a Glance
Career Multiverse™: Are Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs destined for failure?
Podcast: Taking Control of Your Time
Tweet: Work-life balance
Career Multiverse™
Last week, I was part of a conversation in which someone asked whether diversity, equity, and inclusion have become buzzwords.
That’s an interesting question. Over the years, we have seen corporate social responsibility become a buzzword and sometimes even turn into greenwashing. Are we seeing the same thing happening to diversity programs?
While studies show that more diverse teams perform better, in most cases, it is not enough to cause a real change in many companies. After all, it takes a herculean effort to overhaul systems that have been around for decades.
I used to manage corporate social responsibility and, later, diversity programs at my last corporate job. They are nothing but a PR gimmick. A Head of HR once told me to do the minimum amount of work possible to get the organization recognized as a socially responsible company.
No wonder we are seeing no progress in the opportunities and pay that women and other minority groups get in corporate jobs, even after decades of acknowledging the issues of inequality, racism, and lack of inclusion.
Are we ever going to see a solution to this problem?
For the first time in a long time, I am very optimistic that the answer is yes. How?
DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations).
Before DAOs, the current corporate system had no competition. It was a massive monopoly. If you needed a job - as most people do - then you had no choice but to accept the way the system worked. Maybe you would occasionally express your displeasure with what you were seeing, assuming you were brave enough to do so, but most of the time, whether you said anything or not, it made very little difference.
The incentives were not aligned for change.
I believe that DAOs have the potential to be a real competitor to traditional corporations, and DAOs will force corporations to change in order to compete for talent. DAOs don’t need to replace corporations. They just need to provide a strong alternative for talent to consider.
I am a part of several DAOs. Yes, we are still very early on this journey, but the possibilities are tremendous. DAOs could become the answer to all the diversity, equity, and inclusion problems corporations have not been able to solve…until now.
Podcast
Thank you, Jessica, for sharing this podcast episode with me.
I have spent years studying productivity and time management. That knowledge came in handy when I was doing my doctorate, working 60+ hours a week, commuting, and taking care of my kids. I was ultra-aware of every minute of my day during those 2.5 years.
Mine was an extreme case, but even during that time, I tried never to say, “I am busy.” What does that even mean?
When someone says, “I am busy,” I hear:
“I am anxious.”
“I am overwhelmed.”
“I have too much on my plate, and I can’t handle it.”
These days, I get up at 5 am and go to bed at around 10:30 pm. I am at my desk from around 7 am to 7 pm. I am always doing something, but I never say, “I am busy.”
What I am doing is living my life. I am finally doing what I enjoy. I have full control over my time, and I choose to spend it working because it makes me happy. I feel like I am working towards something meaningful, something that gives me purpose.
I am not busy. I am fulfilled.
Tweet
Another brilliant tweet from Daniel Vassallo.
Thank you for reading!
Alina