# Work as Practice By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-09-29 Much of work seems unnecessary. If one has observed something similar, it might seem that the work is somehow punitive. A different metaphor is possible. Just as star athletes spend more time practicing than playing their sport, it could be that much of work is practice. That day-to-day activities are, in fact, largely unnecessary for achieving organizational success. Still, they were designed to have people going through the processes and integrations that might be necessary in a crisis. Maybe much of the work is simply preparation. Now, of course, there are significant problems with this metaphor. The most glaring is that when organizations experience crises, they often get rid of employees, so much for practicing for the big game. Whether the organization benefits from the work doesn’t seem to be the point. Work as practice reveals something important. Much of what gets done is largely in preparation for something else. Work being done today prepares oneself for the work one will do tomorrow. #### Related Items [[Work]] [[Practice]] [[Sports]] [[Success]] [[Paradigms]]