March Madness Virus Strikes Again!

MARCH MADNESS

As I write this March Madness is just beginning and tickets are getting punched all over the place for the Big Dance… If you don't know I'm talking about – then you probably don't have March Madness.  This is the time of year that almost everyone seems to turn into Jay Bilas or Bill Walton, that is to say, experts on college basketball. 

You can download (or if you're 'old school' you can print out) a March Madness bracket once the final 64 teams (OK for you purists I know there are actually 68) are announced and become a prognosticator along with 70 million others who complete March Madness brackets and hope to pick their favorites to win, pull an upset or become this year's Cinderella team.  I don't follow college basketball much other than watching an occasional rivalry game – that is until March Madness.  I fill out my online bracket and share it with my sons and friends and we commiserate about our favorites who get beat and celebrate the upsets we 'predicted'. 

                                  

Business experts estimate that the 'average' worker spends six hours of work time following the tournament both on TV and online – about 25 minutes a day.  March Madness is said to be, "the bane of bosses and HR departments, as workers try to keep up with the latest scores and Cinderella stories".  In fact, the NCAA website has a built in "boss button." In the first round of the tournament most games air during the workday, so for hoops fans, that means watching the games online at their desks, hoping the boss doesn’t notice.  The NCAA is keenly aware of this habit and has since 2006 included a “boss button” on its website for streaming the games. Simply click the button, and your screen instantly shifts from basketball to spreadsheets, email, or some other productivity veneer.  But even the "boss button" has changed over the years to become more sophisticated and recent evolutions are the most realistic yet. It allows you to toggle among work, class, and home modes (though we wonder why home is necessary at all – maybe trying to hide your March Madness addiction from your spouse?). The work option actually mimics the looks of Google Slides. 

Back in the old days people used to run an office pool where it would cost $1 to submit your picks, but those pools are NOT allowed in almost all government agencies, but some employee-centered businesses actually embrace March Madness.  One such forward thinking executive says, "While it might not be good for productivity, there are some upsides to this office slacking, particularly with morale building.  While HR personnel and managers may worry about events like March Madness being a distraction in the office, allowing workers to enjoy sports-related activities for even a few minutes can be time well spent, and staff will appreciate the opportunity to bond with colleagues and return to their desks rejuvenated.” 

Here's to unbusted brackets… your #15 seed beating a #2 seed and your Cinderella pick making it to the Final Four!  The virus called March Madness lasts only 19 days and there is no known cure!