As a leader, how are you looking after your own well-being?
Do you control your work hours or are they starting to control you? More people are staying late at work and suffering because of it. Are you one of them? Before you have dinner at your desk (Yet again!), try these three things:
- Know your priorities. When deciding whether to stay and finish a task or put it aside until the next day, remember what your priorities are. If the task furthers your professional and personal goals, then it may be worth putting in the extra time. And be honest. Not all tasks further your goals.
- Agree on expectations at home. Discuss your work hours with the people closest to you—your partner, spouse, or friends—to be sure your expectations are aligned. Disappointments and resentments can be growing at home and you're not there to 'nip them in the bud'.
- Talk about it at work. Make it clear that you are willing to stay late if there is a legitimate reason, such as a specific deadline. But emphasize that this should be the exception, not the rule. The same is true of your staff. You need to attend to their well-being as much as your own.
Adapted from "Should You Stay Late or Go Home?" by Ron Ashkenas.
