Employees said that they spent an average of 27% of their time on bureaucratic chores such as writing reports or documenting compliance. Every year most companies hold annual performance reviews in which managers assess their charges and the charges respond. Employees also need the opportunity to suggest ways in which the company is making poor use of their time
Sometimes in this job, I have a kernel of a column idea that doesn’t pan out. But other times, I begin looking into a topic and find a problem so massive that I can’t believe I’ve ever written about anything else. This latter experience happened as I looked into the growing bureaucratization of American life. It’s not only that growing bureaucracies cost a lot of money; they also enervate American society. They redistribute power from workers to rule makers, and in so doing sap initiative, discretion, creativity and drive.