The Art of Appearing Busy at Work

An official announcement for the visibly occupied.

The Department of Optics & Appearances has reviewed your performance. Unfortunately, some of your useful work appears to have gone unwitnessed.

Please consult The Art of Appearing Busy at Work, a manual for the visibly occupied.

This illustrated satire examines the modern workplace, where doing the work is only part of the job. The rest involves ensuring that somebody notices.

The calendar must remain full, the status lamp must remain green, and the shared document must continue improving, preferably without ever becoming final.

Across twenty-one chapters, the Department investigates purposeful walking, meeting theatre, strategic vocabulary, and the considerable effort required to demonstrate that effort is occurring.

Inside, you will find departmental charts, employee field notes, Emergency Busy Phrases, a Busyness Audit, and a Certificate of Perceived Productivity.

For situations in which evidence would be helpful, but a certificate is available.

You may recognise your workplace. You may recognise your colleagues. Any recognition of yourself should be recorded as professional development.

The Art of Appearing Busy at Work. One hundred and twenty-eight illustrated pages. Now in public circulation. Obtain your copy through the Department website.

You may now resume appearing busy.