Published: 18/11/2004, Volume II4, No. 5932 Page 41
I am a 32-year-old female manager in a PCT.
I have problems managing my workload and time and think it is having on effect on my performance and health.
I work about nine hours a day, but It is pretty constant and I do not get time for lunch.
I find it difficult to say no to my boss giving me more work - she seems to trust me with this kind of workload and I do not want to appear ungrateful.
That said, she seems to be able to leave work on time much more often than me.
I want to do a Master's degree but I can't see how I will ever find the time.
I used to belong to a gym, but it was expensive and often I found I would get home too late to go. I also find that I am smoking more than I did a couple of months ago (though still only about 10 a day).
Sally Gorham says: The key to striking a workable work-life balance is setting yourself some clear time boundaries - and sticking to them. This is easier to do if everyone else knows what your time boundaries are. If they do not and you are known for staying late and skipping lunch, then you will find your secretary regularly booking meetings after 5pm and at lunchtime!
Delegate work that can be done by others. Develop the people you work with so that they can manage more of your current workload. Most staff are far more capable than we give them credit for and often have hidden talents and skills - but beware of them too becoming overloaded with work!
Learn to be in control by saying no - It is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness.
It sounds as if your manager has already got control of her workload - but at your expense. In your one-to-one sessions with your manager talk about your workload. Make it clear to her that you have aspirations to further your career, but do not use this discussion to suggest you want to apply to do an MA, your manager may misinterpret what you are saying as wanting to do less work to allow time for studies.
Ask her how she manages her work-life balance and seek her advice and support.
This way you will be able to learn from her but at the same time give her insight into the problems you are having. Seek her support to work through the priorities and agree some revised time scales.
It is now down to you. Set your time boundaries, delegate more and say no.
With practice, you will find that you feel more in control. Then you can start thinking seriously about doing an MA.
Kate Gordon says: In this case, I have identified at least six different coaching issues but have concentrated on one aspect - time.
Keep a time diary, and record what you are doing and for how long each day for a week. Categorise each entry into routine/ non-routine, planned/not planned, urgent/non-urgent, etc and then analyse and review it.
Are there any big surprises? What are they and why? And how do you feel now looking at this list?
Things you could look at might be:
Schedule time for planning daily and/ or weekly objectives.
List the key activities you must do each day and be realistic about how long you think each will take.
Prioritise your activities: urgent/nonurgent, important/non-important.
Plan time for phone calls, e-mails, meetings etc.
Next, take control! To increase your inner circle of control (where you have direct influence) you could frame interruptions - 'I am sorry I really need to finish this, could you come back in an hour please and I can give you my full attention then?' To increase your influence on the outer circle of control you could open up a discussion with your boss - 'I can't take on any more work due to my full workload, but if this is really urgent can we agree the priorities of my other work? I can't do it all today, so which of the others is more important for me to sort out?'
Hazel Henderson says: You need to start prioritising and your health should be at the top of the list!
Introducing a few changes can improve your health, without affecting your performance.
Get out of the office every day either to take a relaxing lunch break or to go for a walk to clear your head and release some tension.
If you feel you are wasting time, then walk to a shop to buy lunch and kill two birds with one stone. Make an effort to leave work on time at least twice a week, and use this time to do something enjoyable - meet up with friends, do some exercise, or maybe treat yourself to a massage.
This will allow you some time out to relax and unwind. Physical activity can help relieve stress and improve many aspects of your health. Your smoking is obviously a concern to you, but do not make too many changes at once.
Try introducing these small changes, then tackle your smoking once you feel motivated to give up.
You're obviously very dedicated to your job, so remember that you will be more productive if you take breaks and look after your health.
Once you make these changes to your working routine you might find you have time to do an MA!
Our panel
Bryan Carpenter is human resources director of Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals trust.
Kate Gordon is an independent nurse consultant and qualified life coach.
Sally Gorham is chief executive of Waltham Forest primary care trust.
Hazel Henderson is physical fitness co-ordinator for Wandsworth primary care trust.
Neil Johnson is director of education and training at the NHSU.
Jenny Rogers is an executive coach and director of Management Futures.
Jan Sobieraj is chief executive of Barnsley district general hospital trust.
Do you have issues about your working life that you need some expert advice on? E-mail in confidence to: hsjworkinglives@emap.com. You could receive a free copy of our popular toolkit 'Leadership at every level' (retail price£95)
No comments yet