We are just about going on the big holiday of the year: lots of sweets, love and presents; family gatherings, catch ups with friends and calls to the long not seen acquaintances. We even feel better about how much we miss our countries or how often we fly to other countries in business.
During the holidays we will be back with our families, our friends and our beloved ones. We will very likely feel we can’t get enough of it. Somehow our work commitments will cut down dramatically the dose we get once we are back from holidays. And we will start thinking... What if we just go back to our home countries? What if we look for a local job that allows us to sleep at home at least 70% of the nights? What if we cut down bills so that we can afford a little more time with our families? By the first day back to work, all the pre-holiday good wishes might have turned into ‘I will tell my boss I quit’.
My experience however tells me that even though quitting is suitable for some people, most of us can actually keep the job and get a better balance. Here are a few ideas to which you can add any crazy out of the box ones. Little secret: most ideas are not that crazy and can be easily negotiated:
· Limit your business travelling: most companies don’t ask you to travel 5 days a week. However most of us consider we owe it to the company as a proof of our loyalty. Negotiate flying on Monday and coming back on Thursday. If you cut down the late Sunday flights and you are back on Thursday night you have effectively won 2 family days for the price of 1 business day that you can almost certainly squeeze in your four travelling days.
· Take days off: even if we sometimes feel if we don’t do it, nobody will and the consequences will impact the world peace or the Euro stability in very few occasions a long weekend ends up impacting your company’s bottom line. If you need a long weekend to fly home or to enjoy your family, plan ahead and let your company know. The only thing people will notice is that you come back more relaxed and happy.
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| How can we keep a work-time balance after Christmas? |
· Negotiate your time in the office: if picking up your children on Friday afternoon is important to you or you want to attend a seminar which requires you leaving a little earlier, negotiate a trade off with your employer. You can either start earlier, work from home to save commuting time or take care of an extra task to compensate.
· Think what it is best for you keeping your company’s interest in mind. One of the coaching principles is that we all act in our best interest. However, in the corporate world, we often forget this for fear to let down our boss, not been seen as loyal and dedicated and a number of other reasons. And that means we sometimes schedule impossible meetings each one of them at one end of the country with crazy driving hours and sleep deprivation. Do those meetings need to happen in that order? Normally not. In most cases we take someone else’s suggestion as the only option when actually most people propose dates and times for the meetings as a starting point, not as a final suggestion. Draw your optimal route for meetings before starting the calls and allocate each of the visits in the way that makes more logistic sense remembering that eating, sleeping and resting and not optional but mandatory for best performance.
· Talk, talk and talk. Without being emotional or getting into the solution let your company know what makes you feel good, what makes you tick and what your priorities are. Most bosses will try to accommodate your preferences for two main reasons: 1. It is a lot more enjoyable to work with happy people and 2. You are committed and valuable and finding another YOU takes lots of time, dedication and you always risk being more unique than you think.
Merry Christmas!
Nel Rivero
International Corporate & Executive Coach
@ Sky Ladder Coaching
The Sky is the limit, getting there is up to you!
P.S. Don’t forget to have a look at my International Coaching Packages. They make a great present for you or your beloved ones.
