Finding your balance
Like so much in life, finding the right balance in work is so important. I was listening to ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana recently, and when Kurt Cobain sings the line, ‘I’m worse at what I do best’, it really struck a chord with me. My interpretation is that those things that we enjoy and do best can become out of balance and take over our lives. This got me thinking and relating it to the workplace. Do you find you are giving too much of yourself to work or spending too much time in the office? It is important that you recognise if you are, as this is no good for family life and it is vital that you maintain a decent work/life balance.
Time management
Your work is important, but so too is your life outside work. By spending too long stuck at your desk or focusing on work means that you might be missing out on important stuff with family or friends, outside of the work environment. Also, long hours don’t necessarily mean high performance. They might actually mean you are not focusing on what is most important. It is worth remembering that the important and urgent tasks need to be done with alacrity, but there are also the important but non-urgent jobs, which can be scheduled in for a convenient time. And don’t forget, there are also the non-urgent, non-important jobs that perhaps don’t actually need to be done at all – or possibly delegated to someone else in the team.
Learning to say no
It is an important skill to learn how to say no. This doesn’t need to be seen as rude or unhelpful. However, if you are too busy – or not the best person for the job – most people would rather you highlighted this, than take on something that someone else would be better doing. By saying no, but offering a better solution, not only are you not taking on unnecessary work, but you are solving a problem too.
Manage expectations
Where you do take on additional work, there is a lot of sense in outlining – realistically – when this can be completed by. By setting out what you can do by when, you are ensuring that you are providing clear information and people know the situation. If you can’t make a deadline without working until midnight, make sure you inform the person that asked you to do the work. This allows the opportunity to redistribute the work if necessary.
With the advent of remote working, it is all too easy for people to be putting in additional hours without the knowledge or support of their team. Even if you are enjoying it, it is important to make sure you have the support you need in place.
