Checking the Box to Get the Job
Minimum Effort for Credit
A worrying number of people go through life checking the box, showing up but not participating, and giving minimum effort. They accomplish tasks because someone told them that they had to. I know; I spent two decades in the military, a massive experience of checking boxes. It isn’t the box’s fault, and it isn’t the fault of the people who check them, though. We must stop designing society with so many boxes that people must check.
The person checked the box that they attended the training seminar, so now it’s the individual’s fault if they don’t understand the material, not the instructor’s. See, the attendance box is checked! You can’t possibly fail a student who checked all the attendance boxes! Never mind that they didn’t pay attention, they didn’t participate, they didn’t ask questions. What matters is the box.
A culture of sexism and toxic masculinity in a company’s management? It can’t be! They all checked the box to show they knew our strict HR policy! This absolves the executives of responsibility completely. Those sexist managers knew better, so we can blame them; the company is not to blame.
We create checklists to avoid decisions and absolve responsibility for decisions. Look at the job application process. Did you check the box next to “college degree?” If…
