Fantasizing on the Job : Experts Say Daydreaming About Sex, Power Is Common

What do you fantasize about at work? If it’s making love to Susie or Bob in accounting, calling the shots as chief executive or being able to read your co-workers’ minds, you’re not alone.

“We’re all human, so we all tend to think about the same things,” says Jerry Jellison, USC psychology professor and business consultant.

Indeed, a survey from the summer issue of Exec magazine finds that four out of five men and half of women daydream about having sex with a colleague--some having such erotic dreams every hour. Seven out of 10 dream about what they would say to their boss if they quit, while six out of 10 imagine themselves with some type of supernatural power such as mind reading, X-ray vision or invisibility.

Although most of the 1,500 respondents reflect the new magazine’s younger, male, white-collar readership, experts say all of us have probably daydreamed about the same basic topics.

Some of the fantasies underscore shared priorities of certain groups. For instance, younger people tend to dream more about moving up the corporate ladder, and men more about sex, Jellison notes.

But some fantasies--such as making love to co-workers--also explain differences between the sexes.

More women than men should be having such fantasies because of the disproportionate number of men in the workplace, says Elaine Draper, assistant professor of sociology at USC, who studies workplace stratification. But unwanted sexual attention at work explains why less women think about it, she adds.

Other daydreams reflect positive ways of handling stress, boredom and ambition, experts say.

Some of the more creative answers in the Exec survey came with the write-in responses. One respondent’s most recurring fantasy was “playing nude golf with certain co-workers and clients,” while another’s was “having a nervous breakdown and shouting profanities over the PA system.”

Though wild, excessive fantasies interfere with work, daydreaming about asking for a raise, having a mentor or breaking a sales record helps workers plan their goals, psychologists say.

“Daydreaming is a way of rehearsing and practicing what you’re going to do,” says Milton Wolpin, a psychologist in Venice.

In fact, companies might appreciate some of the creativity reflected in daydreams, says Thomas P. Christy, president of the Los Angeles area chapter of PIRA, the Assn. of Human Resources Professionals. “I’m encouraged that people are thinking and contemplating these issues through,” he says.

But what about the respondent in the magazine’s survey who dreams of “doing the mambo on the boardroom table,” or the one whose most common fantasy is “to bend my manager’s head in with a crowbar”?

“Unfortunately, we have people who can’t handle stress,” Christy says. “(But) you’ve got to look into it in a context as a whole.”

Enough analysis. By daydreaming at work, we’re just all being normal, says Mark Golin, Exec’s executive editor.

“Everybody’s doing it and everybody is doing it about as much as you do,” he says.

Dream Job

About 1,500 readers of the newly created Exec magazine answered a mail-in survey on their daydreaming habits at work. Here’s what the respondents--about 90% men, most aged 25 to 40 and almost entirely lower- or middle-level managers--said they do when they let their minds wander.

Do you ever dream about having sex with a co-worker?

Yes: 77%

No: 23%

If yes, how often?

Occasionally: 52%

Weekly: 22%

Daily: 24%

On the hour: 3% Have you ever daydreamed about changing a aspect of your image to appear more impressive to co-workers?

Yes: 84%

No: 16% Do you daydream about being CEO of your company?

Yes: 73%

No: 27% Do you ever dream that you have secret powers (such as the ability to read minds, become invisible or control other people’s actions)?

Yes: 62%

No: 38% Are you ever shocked out of a daydream and unable to answer a question someone has asked you?

Yes: 45%

No: 55% Do you fantasize about what you’ll say to your boss the day you quit?

Yes: 69%

NO: 31% Have you had at least one daydream in the last year that you turned to reality?

Yes: 71%

No: 29%

Source: Exec magazine Note: May not add up to 100% because of rounding.