The unbearable falseness of work

I was talking to an ex-colleague some time ago. Before s/he left my place of work, s/he was a head of department and did a good job. I talked to them after a month or so in their new post and asked how it was going. I'm paraphrasing, but the candid answer went something like...

"I'm responsible for huge budgets and people keep asking me things. They come into my office and ask me to make decisions. I make a decision but I don't really know what I’m doing. I feel like a fraud."

First of all, I have no doubt that this person is very capable in their new job. But his/her comments are indicative of a state of mind I have stumbled upon before.

People go to work, do their jobs and look forward to going home. A lucky minority enjoy what they do, but let's face it, work is a necessity. We all fear repossession, the sack and destitution but the only thing we have of genuine value is time. Without time, we have nothing. And of this, work takes the lion's share.

So does work give us a sense of fulfilment and purpose for giving our time so willingly? Usually not. Even friends who enjoy their jobs confess to a sense of falseness (my word, not theirs). It's more than just a problem of identifying with the job they're paid to do. It's a sense of ‘playing at’ being a Head of Department, Marketing Executive, Graphic Designer or whatever the ‘grown up’ role may be.

Have you ever been in a meeting and felt the need to speak, even if you have nothing to say? If you've ever had this feeling, be assured that others do too. Next time you're in a meeting, assess how much talk is substance and how much is hot air. Most meeting room contributions come from the feeling of, "I'm in a meeting, I need to say something." Some people are just better at filling the space than others. Presentations are another example - I know what it's like to blag a presentation and I've witnessed my 'superiors' employ exactly the same techniques.

Amongst these best efforts to do the job is the niggling fear that it's all a bit of a blag.

This 'playing at' state of mind affects all levels. Your line manager, your boss, your chief executive have all felt the same. And it goes right to the top. I'm sure George W. Bush had to pinch himself when staff called him Mr. President for the very first time.

"So, let me get this straight. Air Force One is an airplane?"
"Yes, Mr. President."
"And that's my airplane?
"All yours, Mr. President."
"Okay. Sounds good…now, call me Mr. President again."
"Yes...Mr. President."

I think one of the reasons for this falseness is that we all have to adopt personalities to get a job in the first place. A job application is an exercise in sheer falseness. We answer cliché with cliché and over-egg our achievements if necessary. It doesn't mean that you don't care or that you aren't right for the job. It's just a skin we wear for the situation - and the interviewers jumped through the same hoops when they were interviewed. We all know it’s a game.

I'm sure this falseness of the professional world plagues millions. I'm subject to it too but wouldn't it be liberating to rid ourselves of it?