“How Hard Do The Top People Work?”

Despite the fact that “Work” has, through the ages, haunted the intellects of poets, philosophers, theologians, and inventors, this survey on work has no lofty pretensions. Midst the burning questions of modern sociological and psychological thought regarding the perils of the Age of Leisure and the implications of the New Technological Society, this survey on work does not pose any answers. And even under the shadow of economic doubt cast by current conditions of unemployment, inflation, and the fight for the four-day work week, this survey on work does not get involved.

We just thought that it might be of interest to the working people of this city to know how some of their fellow working people go about their work. Not just any fellow working people – as coarse as it may sound, there is simply very little public curiosity as to the working habits of John Average, mildly successful automobile insurance agent. Likewise, there is very little civic clamoring to know how many hours go into the working day of Joe Unknown, struggling magazine survey taker. So we’ve polled a select group of some of Dallas’ most successful people to find out how they got where they did. How hard, we wanted to know, do the biggies really work?

It’s impossible to let this bounty of information pass without a few observations.

It was gratifying to discover that very few of Dallas’ top people are too busy – too busy meaning not having enough time to fill out our questionnaire (a ten-minute process at most). The response was a solid 85%, indicating that only 15% of the local upper echelon are seriously overworking themselves. Similarly, in the category of total working hours per week, there were no responses which fell into the ominous area of workaholicism.

A workaholic, as any psychologist knows, is generally defined as anyone who, during normal periods of leisure, finds himself compulsively drawn to work. There are two classic models. The first is characterized by the weekend golfer who struggles so intensely to improve his game that he manages to turn 18 holes of recreation into 18 holes of exhausting labor – a pathetic and heart-wrenching sight to those who have witnessed it. The second classical type is the individual who, at approximately 6 p.m. on Sunday evening, begins to show signs of nervous agitation which, in severe cases, ultimately manifest themselves in such activity as a frenzied and maniacal reorganizing of the briefcase until overcome by sleep.

Anything above 80 work hours per week is considered to be some form of workaholicism. The results of this survey indicate that this viciously consumptive disease has, thankfully, not yet taken hold here. Tom Landry, at 80 hours per week, is a borderline case; but Tom, fortunately, has an annual six month off-season in which to dry out. The only real case, statistically, is Dr. Charles Baxter of Parkland Hospital – but he, unlike a true workaholic, readily admits he works too hard. No danger there.

The other 15%, the overworked non-responders (there would, of course, be no workaholics among the group – a workaholic would be unable to resist the work involved in responding) also provide a point of interest. Of these 15%, there were five individuals whose responses we felt we could not do without – by position or profession they were particularly important to the survey. A telephone follow-up survey was devised. First phone call: “I’m sorry, he’s out of town on business until Friday.” Second phone call: “I’m sorry, she’s at a speaking engagement this afternoon.” Third call: “I’m sorry, he’s in a board meeting at the moment.” Fourth call: “I’m sorry, she’s on another line long distance.” Fifth call: “Yes, one moment please. Oh, no, I’m sorry, he just stepped out the door with a client.” Five out of five. Amazing.

These people are of that class of hard-working professionals known as “unreachables.” They are a source of great frustration in the professional community. Even when they are reachable, they have a battallion of secretary-security agents who make it as difficult as possible. We eventually tracked down four of them. The fifth is either the world’s hardest worker or dead.

There are many who hold to the notion that if an individual is well-suited to a particular job, he will like his work; and if he likes his work, then it is not really “work” at all. Some are skeptical of this notion. The nature of the responses in the survey does at least indicate that these successful people are suited to their jobs – the way in which they answered their questions showed a natural affinity for their work.

For example, whereas most of the business types, in their efficient manner, saw no need to dally with the space reserved for “Comments,” the politicians, the voices of the people, found the “Comments” space irresistible for at least a few of their words. Except for Irving Mayor Dan Matkin. He can be excused though; in the finest tradition of hard work, he is moonlighting (and, in the new tradition of moonlighting mayors, as a sportscaster). Overall, it should be noted that the respondents had very little to say about their work. This perhaps proves that they are indeed hard working people and have little time for elaboration; or it may prove the old adage that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

Then again, maybe there is no need for elaboration. The essential question is “How hard do the top people work?” The most succinct, incisive, and, perhaps, significant answer came from Dallas Police Chief Donald Byrd. He returned his questionnaire blank and untouched except for a brief note scribbled hastily in one corner: “I’m sorry, I don’t have time to answer your questionnaire.”