What is Fake Work

Fake Work is work the is not aligned to the strategies of an organization. The following story, from the book, illustrates the issue.

A Road to Nowhere

"Suppose you are building a road on a mountainside leading to the site for your new cabin. You have worked for months clearing sagebrush and aspen trees. You’ve moved rocks and filled in roadbed through the exhausting heat, the raging downpours, and even early snow. You’ve pushed forward, based on your best understanding of the surveyor’s plans. The road winds over a dusty hill, cuts through the trees, moves along a rocky ridge, and then—you find yourself at the end of the road, looking down from the edge of a cliff."

"Fake work looks and feels like that. The building of the road was purposeful. Your effort was admirable. The blood, sweat, and tears you poured into the project were real and your commitment was profound. However, none of that really matters! You are still left with a road to nowhere."