--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Organizational busy work tends to expand…" description: "\"Organizational busy work tends to expand to fill the working day.\" — Tom DeMarco" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/tom-demarco-12134_busy_organizational-busy-work-tends-to-expand_1231066.png" --- # Organizational busy work tends to expand to fill the… ![“Organizational busy work tends to expand to fill the working day.” quote by Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/tom-demarco-12134_busy_organizational-busy-work-tends-to-expand_1231066.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/tom-demarco-12134_busy_organizational-busy-work-tends-to-expand_1231066.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/tom-demarco-12134_busy_organizational-busy-work-tends-to-expand_1231066.png) > “Organizational busy work tends to expand to fill the working day.” [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Work expands to fill the time allocated, so busy tasks grow to occupy the whole day. **In simple terms:** Busy work expands to fill time. Key Takeaway Limit work time to control tasks. Themes productivity time management workplace dynamics Mood frustrated reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - project planning - meeting scheduling - task prioritization Key Concepts Parkinson's Law efficiency boundaries Questions to Reflect On - How can you set realistic time limits? - What tasks truly add value? A Different Perspective If tasks are not bounded, they become endless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Busy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/busy/) [Busy work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/busy-work/) [Organizational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organizational/) [Organizational Busy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organizational-busy-3807586/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Tends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-tends-3432523/) [Working Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-day-752515/) ## Related quotes > [If you do good work, it tends to stick around. 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I don't remember him ever being a 'dad' dad. He was too busy working.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/i-do-think-my-old-fella-wasn-t-much-of-a-i-don-t-remember-him-ever/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [I had no idea 'Moon River' would do so well. 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A little bit per day is the only way to make it through. Never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/everyday-should-be-a-working-day-on-those-difficult-tasks-a-little/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [A woman's work, from the time she gets up to the time she goes to bed, is as hard as a day at war,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-duras/a-woman-s-work-from-the-time-she-gets-up-to-the-time-she-goes-to-bed/) [Marguerite Duras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-duras/) > [People ask me, 'Why don't you take time off?' but the working class doesn't take time off. They're out there working every day. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-cerrone/people-ask-me-why-don-t-you-take-time-off-but-the-working-class-doesn/) [Donald Cerrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-cerrone/) > [I'm working out every day. I'm in very good shape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-garner/i-m-working-out-every-day-i-m-in-very-good-shape/) [James Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-garner/) ## More by Tom DeMarco > [“More important than any gimmick you introduce is a change in attitude. People must learn that it’s okay sometimes not to answer their phones,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/more-important-than-any-gimmick-you-introduce-is-a-change-in-attitude/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“We have become so obsessed with getting rid of people who are burdened with the characterization overhead that we have ended up with organizations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/we-have-become-so-obsessed-with-getting-rid-of-people-who-are/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [The more you focus on control, the more likely you're working on a project that's striving to deliver something of relatively minor value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-more-you-focus-on-control-the-more-likely-you-re-working-on-a/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [Product quality has almost nothing to do with defects or their lack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/product-quality-has-almost-nothing-to-do-with-defects-or-their-lack/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“Internal competition has the direct effect of making coaching difficult or impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/internal-competition-has-the-direct-effect-of-making-coaching/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“People under time pressure don’t work better—they just work faster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/people-under-time-pressure-don-t-work-better-they-just-work-faster/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“The most obvious defensive management ploys are prescriptive Methodologies (“My people are too dumb to build systems without them” ) and technical interference by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-most-obvious-defensive-management-ploys-are-prescriptive/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“The need for uniformity is a sign of insecurity on the part of management. 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I'm busy, but I've always been busy whatever job I've had. My very first job working in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-derbyshire/success-doesn-t-have-a-downside-for-me-i-m-busy-but-i-ve-always-been/) [Victoria Derbyshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-derbyshire/) > [I remember till 997th film, but after that I got so busy with multiple projects; I'm not sure which one released as my 1,000th…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brahmanandam/i-remember-till-997th-film-but-after-that-i-got-so-busy-with-multiple/) [Brahmanandam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brahmanandam/) > [I love to work in football, so for me it's not work. I'm not here first in the morning and last in the evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-farke/i-love-to-work-in-football-so-for-me-it-s-not-work-i-m-not-here-first/) [Daniel Farke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-farke/) > [We all have time away from football to get our head down. At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [I am on sabbatical as of right now, been too busy to think of about my OWN needs as of late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-diamond/i-am-on-sabbatical-as-of-right-now-been-too-busy-to-think-of-about-my/) [Jim Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-diamond/) > [“I don't envy "busy." Busy means having a schedule, not living life. What I really covet is leisure and peace of mind. Those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/i-don-t-envy-busy-busy-means-having-a-schedule-not-living-life-what-i/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [Focus on being productive instead of busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/focus-on-being-productive-instead-of-busy/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/) [Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/) > [I like acting too much and it's too, I'm just too busy doing that and I'm too hungry for it, to get behind the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-weisz/i-like-acting-too-much-and-it-s-too-i-m-just-too-busy-doing-that-and/) [Rachel Weisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-weisz/) > [The hollow horn plays wasted words, proves to warn that he not busy being born is busy dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-hollow-horn-plays-wasted-words-proves-to-warn-that-he-not-busy/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Films are tricky because for years you're getting told you're about to make it and you're about to be busy for four or six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mills/films-are-tricky-because-for-years-you-re-getting-told-you-re-about/) [Mike Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mills/) > [Never be too busy for the people you love. Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relationships. 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