I used to know a manager, let’s call him Bob, who people would criticise behind his back for spending far too much time playing cricket. Bob would take an afternoon off a week, he would always leave work on time, if not a little early. People thought he didn’t do his job properly – how could he if he wasn’t putting in all the hours everyone else was?
Bob wasn’t my manager, but there was a period when he had to cover for my manager and I was worried, would he be impossible to get hold of? Would I get the support I needed?
I needn’t have worried. It wasn’t that Bob didn’t do his job properly, quite the opposite. He was clear – this is what I do, this is what I don’t do; this is when I’m available, this is when I’m not available, this is how long you can expect to wait for a response to an email, this is how to contact me if it’s urgent.
Because he was clear, people both on the senior management team, and in the team he managed, knew what they could ask and expect of him. He was creative too, he would find imaginative ways round rules and procedures that were holding things back.
A different person in his position would have been overwhelmed and overworking. They might have been worrying and losing sleep over work.
Do you have too much work. or are you like Bob? I’ve helped several people become more like Bob and less subject to overwork/ poor work life balance and stress. If you’d like to find out how that might work for you, email me, phone me or book an appointment using my booking form.