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2014-04-28 10:23:24
Elizabeth Garone
When Stephen Gironda worked in hotel management in the 1980s, it wasn t unusual
for him to clock 50, 60, even 70 hours a week. When he worked in the restaurant
business, his hours were worse sometimes 80 to 100 weekly and with lower
pay.
But Gironda loved working in hospitality, so he kept at it and rarely
complained since he was single and didn t have a family waiting at home for
him. Only after his first son was born did Gironda decide to change careers so
he could work fewer hours.
For many people, a beloved job that pays well can make up for outrageous hours
that go along with it. But what if it just gets to be too much? Can you regain
control and buy yourself enough time to have a life outside of work? Experts
say it s possible with a little thought and effort.
Ask early
It s said that it s easier to get a higher salary going into a job than big
raises later. The same can be said for a manageable work schedule. Rather than
waiting until you re on the job, speak up in your interview, suggested Gironda,
who now works as an executive coach and runs New Jersey-based Torch Learning
Programs.
You must ask the hard questions like, What kind of hours are I am expected to
keep at work? and Are there any opportunities for work at home or to work
different hours? he said. It seems simple and it is, but it s so often
forgotten during the interview process when one sees a potential steady
paycheck.
If you re already in a job and the hours have ballooned from, say, an expected
45 per week to 55 or 60, you ll want to start documenting your extra work and
to make a plan to discuss the changes with your supervisor. Don t let too much
time go by; the longer it goes, the harder it will be to get the time back.
In the right place?
Does the company, either where you work now or are considering joining, have a
culture that will allow you work-life balance?
The notion of clocking in and out of work and being seen to spend a set
number of hours in the office is mostly an artefact of the past, wrote
Melbourne-based Richard Anderson, an executive brand coach with career
consultancy Point Ahead, in an email. The most nimble of organisations equip
executives to work from home, setting up a blended work/life mix where the two
domains overlap
Do you have too much work and not enough free time? (Thinkstock)
When considering a position at a certain company, talk to as many former and
current employees as possible. Research the company on LinkedIn using its
advanced search function to find people connected to it. That way, you ll have
a better idea about the work culture before you accept an offer.
And if you re already at a company and your hours have ballooned out of
control, check with human resources or your department. Perhaps there s a new
policy that allows for a work-at-home option or the chance to take a few days
off in exchange for working longer hours. You won t know unless you ask.
Building trust
To negotiate the set up that works best for you, you need to build trust,
according to Anderson. Have a conversation with your manager and find out what
he or she needs. Ask questions such as, What is most important to you about
this proposal I am writing? or When do you need me to deliver this so that
you have enough time to put your finishing touches to this? suggested
Anderson.
Once you have mastered this practical approach to building trust in others on
your reliability and integrity in getting the job done, you are in a position
to ask for a change, wrote Anderson. This will enable you to show that you
can be trusted to get the balance right.
Solutions, not just problems
How you frame your conversation with your manager is extremely important,
especially if you are going to ask that extra help be brought in. Prepare
documentation of your success to make your value clear as well as making a
case for why additional resources are necessary to achieve objectives, wrote
Megan Fitzgerald, an international career coach based in Singapore.
Start by talking about your performance history and your desire to continue to
deliver at that level. Then explain the number of projects you re currently
working on and how much time each requires to get the desired results.
This will insure that the supervisor is aware of the situation, as sometimes
they can be too far removed from things to understand what is actually going
on, wrote Fitzgerald.
If you're burning the midnight oil, prioritise and ask the boss for support.
(Thinkstock)
But don t stop there. Maintain a solutions focus so that the conversation
stays positive and constructive, wrote Fitzgerald. Show that you see solutions
to address the situation and that you can insure that the quality of work will
be maintained and that objectives will be met.
Make sure to share your solutions, wrote Fitzgerald. For example, the first
suggestion could be to identify which projects are the most important and to
make those a priority while shelving the low-priority projects for later. The
second might be to hire someone else to take on those low-priority projects.
Another could be identifying tools or resources that could save the company
time or make it more productive.
Work from home
Sometimes fewer hours are not an option but a more flexible set up, such as
working from home once or twice a week, could help lessen the burden.
Approach your manager with a plan that addresses reasons you anticipate he or
she might reject your request for a little more flexibility in your schedule,
wrote Allison O'Kelly, founder and CEO of Georgia-based Mom Corps, a
professional staffing firm with a focus on flexible work. O Kelly suggested
including how you propose to work remotely with team members, how you can be
reached at all times during work hours, how you have set up a dedicated at-home
office and what schedule you think works best for the team dynamic.
Asking for a trial period will allow you to prove flexible work options can
work, she wrote. This also makes it more difficult for your boss to turn down
a permanent option if there haven t been disruptions in work during that time."
Move on
By having any of these conversations, you can get insight into the real reasons
behind management requiring the extra hours, said Erika Kauffman, executive
vice president and group director at New York-based 5W Public Relations.
At the very least, this conversation can act as a wake-up call to your manager
that perhaps they may have been putting too much on you, she said. And it will
also tell you where you stand and whether it might be time to look for a new
job.