After studying the issues for three weeks, the group developed the idea of an Employee Exchange Program, an in-house temporary-employment agency that "lends" extra workers to other companies. Employees who volunteer for assignments are interviewed, hired and paid by the "host" company, but they retain their benefits through Rhino. And if the host company has a lower hourly wage. Rhino makes up the difference. So far, the only downside has been more paperwork. But then layoffs create additional paperwork, too.
Remember, you're an adult and a professional. You were hired because your employer believed you had the skills and desire to help the organization achieve its goals. So why are you acting like a child who has no place to go and no one to play with?
- First emotional step. Quit the Cinderella role and start thinking career development.
- First practical step. Figure out exactly what you can and can't control. Take responsibility for managing your time and activities.
When the banker was asked to join his firm's restructuring task force, he knew it would be important to participate. He also knew that the responsibility would be like having a second full-time job. His dilemma: how to handle both duties without working 18- or 20-hour days. What he needed, he decided, was to work smarter but not necessarily harder.
His three rules of participation:
- Never work more than a 12-hour day. A devoted family man, he acknowledged openly that spending evenings at home with his wife and two daughters was important for his sanity. While he was willing to begin his workday early (6 a.m.), he also planned to be on the 6:15 p.m. train home. You could set your watch by him. Unless it was an absolute emergency, he never deviated from his schedule. As a result, his employers and co-workers knew exactly what to expect from him.
- Don't expect perfection. By nature, he was a meticulous man who dotted every "i" and crossed every "t." He also knew that if he maintained that work style, he'd soon fall far behind. So he lost the perfectionist mentality and developed personal standards of "good enough" that still kept his reputation for able work intact.
- Share your goals. Always considered a star performer, the banker knew he could never produce the same results with so much added responsibility. Rather than try to achieve some impossible goal, he renegotiated his sales objectives with his manager, then worked diligently to deliver what he'd promised. Not once did he beat himself up for not delivering the sales figures he'd achieved in previous years. However, getting his manager to buy into his new goals was crucial to his success. Otherwise, the banker would merely have looked as if his performance was way off.
While acknowledging that you're neither a machine nor a superhuman always carries some risk, you don't do anyone a favor by refusing to accept or understand your personal and professional limitations.
"Unless you learn to set boundaries and prioritize your work, you can end up going down with the ship," says Bougie. That's exactly what happened to the assistant dean of a prestigious liberal arts college in Chicago. When his support staff was eliminated, the administrator didn't adjust his goals to accommodate that loss. Instead, he tried valiantly to do the job of three people. In his case, this meant single-handedly servicing more than 1,200 students.
His reward: ulcerated colitis. He also got a year off, which he needed to recover his health and sanity. An operations analyst with a consulting group in Chicago had better success with a more aggressive style. To prevent an overload of demand on her energies, she moved her office to a location removed from her colleagues. She also convinced her manager to let her work at home two mornings a week in order to get some uninterrupted work time.
Keep in mind, though, that even your most innovative solutions won't be considered seriously unless you have a solid track record of professional credibility. You need to establish yourself as a hardworking and committed team player who's willing to go the extra mile before asking your employer to go out of the way for you.
Timing Is Everything
When an assistant marketing manager attended a friend's wedding instead of the company's largest promotional event in history, his priority for friendship wasn't much appreciated. Although no ultimatum was given, he had trouble recovering from the perception that he wasn't committed to organizational goals and priorities.
Balancing work and personal needs is tricky business in organizations where the work seems to mushroom out of control. To get what you want for yourself, you must demonstrate a genuine commitment to the company's efforts as well.
When Baxter Health care Corporation began its downsizing initiatives 10 years ago, it needed a human resources professional to staff its outplacement center. No one wanted the job because it seemed too temporary.
Now, 10 years later, many people who thought that job would be too short-lived are gone and Maureen Gold (who accepted it) is still there going strong. In fact, the company's career center has not only outlived its skeptics, it's become one of the more enduring parts of the organization. In the process, Maureen Gold has discovered her own professional mission. A former teacher, she loves "to see the light bulb go on in people's heads when they realize they have choices."
Gold's message is one of empowerment. Regardless of whether you stay with the company or leave, she says, the important thing is to realize that it's still up to you to manage your career. "Through all the craziness, you can find opportunities to grow," she says.
