I borrowed the title from phrase a friend says when we have to do things as described in this post. Thanks E.R.
Sometimes we have to do things that don’t seem to make sense—such as attending a meeting that feels like a waste of time.
This is often due to the complexity of the organization. The more complex it is, the more people and processes must be followed.
Tasks can sometimes seem pointless because they don’t make sense at the individual level, even though they benefit the organization as a whole. In some cases, a process is being applied where it doesn’t quite fit. Other times, it’s required because some people aren’t fulfilling their responsibilities, so everyone has to compensate.
Occasionally, a leader in the organization wants to try something new or fix an issue, and it’s more efficient to run an experiment than to handhold multiple individual groups. Sometimes it’s just easier to go along with it rather than spend an outsized amount of time trying to correct it.
How you handle these “stupid” tasks is up to you. If you don’t like them and believe they should be fixed, take the initiative to improve them. Personally, there are tasks I choose to go along with because I’ve prioritized solving bigger problems. Complaining doesn’t fix them, and relying on others to take action isn’t always effective.