Has Your Work Taken Over Your Life?
photo credit: notsogoodphotography
One of the interesting things about coaching is how much you learn about yourself in the process of working with clients. Many of the executives I coach are facing the same issues as me, albeit on a much larger scale: they are in a perpetual state of overload and stress from new technology, globalisation, demands for innovation, and a shrinking workforce. On top of this, many have to work in a matrix-run organisation, meaning they are accountable to more than one boss. In sum, they are told to achieve more, more efficiently, faster, and with fewer people.
What do you do when you find yourself overworked, overloaded, and going out of your mind? Harvard Business suggests that you start managing your time more ruthlessly. Set extremely clear goals for yourself and for your work that you currently have on your plate. Set aside a certain amount of time per task and stick to those time limits so that you don’t get behind on everything else.
Make a list of those things that may not be as important as you think they are, things that can wait or be passed on to someone else to handle. Any old projects that have been sitting in the back waiting for your attention obviously never were that important so it’s quite possible that you could eliminate them all together.
Always make sure that your boss is as committed to a project as you are before you put all of your attention into a task. During a project make sure that you pop into your boss’s office every other day or so to let them know where you are on the project and give yourself peace of mind that your efforts are wanted.
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