8 Differences Between a Workaholic & a High Performer in an Office

Last Updated on 2021-10-02 , 11:31 am

It’s pretty difficult to tell the difference between a workaholic and a high performer at first glance: both would look busy, have no time for causal conversation during office hours and would be working long hours.

But look deeper, and you’ll realize they’re two groups of completely different people.

If you’ve often confused a workaholic and a high performer, here’re the eight subtle differences between them.

A workaholic measures his results by the number of hours worked, but a high performer measures his results by the contribution he makes
You may see someone working fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, but when he doesn’t contribute to the company, he’s merely a workaholic and not a high performer. A high performer just delivers the results—you won’t know (he won’t bother to tell you anyways) how many hours he has put in.

A workaholic always seem busy but never delivers results, but a high performer always seem free but always deliver results
The reason is simple: the high performer need not show you that he’s busy. He just performs instead of look busy. The workaholic? He looks busy all the time.

A workaholic always complains about the lack of time. A high performer always just performs beyond everyone’s expectations
A workaholic is always working and working and working…and complaining about not enough time. A high performer just does his work quietly…and delivers results.

A workaholic wants to do everything, but a high performer only does what is important
A workaholic just does everything, regardless of whether the tasks are useful. A high performer sits down and prioritizes before working on only the important tasks.

A workaholic just works without planning. A high performer plans before working
All the workaholic wants to do is to work and work. A high performer would ensure that he plans what he needs to do, discard several unimportant tasks before working. After all, planning for one minute saves nine minutes, eh?

A workaholic believes that his work determines his value. A high performer believes his value determines his work
A workaholic will solely believe that he will be contented with how much others pay him, but a high performer set himself a reasonable amount others should pay him, because he knows how much he’s worth.

A workaholic never gives up on a task. A high performer gives up many tasks so that he can work on the more important ones
Shocked? Well, don’t. The reason is simple: a workaholic just works without understanding what are important. A high performer analyse before working, and therefore can deliver results. The key word here is prioritizing.

A workaholic works to look important, but a high performer looks for just the important work to do
This aptly sums everything up: do you want to be a workaholic or a high performer?

Featured Image: Shutterstock.com / ProStockStudio