talent retention

team building

newsletter

During our team building work with client organizations, we've compiled a collection of barriers that we see creating enormous stress for individuals, blocking performance in teams, and robbing organizations of productivity.  Each issue, one of these barriers will be addressed in our newsletter.  We'll include some suggestions for breakthrough thinking to give you ideas for how you might begin busting through these barriers.

Free Team Building Newsletter

Barrier #5:   The model employee works around the clock and is accessible 24-7.

Breakthrough #5:    Organizations recognize that they only get out of people what they put in.

“The company loves workaholics. They’re the ones who get promoted in this place.” 

“Work, work, work.  They don’t think I have a right to a personal life!” 

“When s/he looks at me, all my boss sees is ‘return on investment’.”

Employers know that loyalty isn’t easily given.  They understand that they have to earn your loyalty, thanks to the impact of downsizing, outplacement, McJobs (short-term and part-time employment), and the high-velocity rate of change in information technology.

Truth is, workaholics who toil for years only to receive outplacement as a reward in their 50s are no longer admired. Employers recognize that people are more creative and more innovative when they have the time and space to think, reflect and express themselves.  The workaholic is no model for thoughtful, intelligent results.

It’s great when you enjoy your work so much that it feels like play. But what happens when even your play starts to feel like work?

The primary reason for the latter is job stress that travels home with you.  Stress also develops when there is no outer boundary on work hours -what was once admired as workaholic behaviour.  It can lead to marital breakdown, substance abuse, anxiety, and chaos … all of which travels back down the pipeline from home to office.

It’s no wonder some people are burning out on the job.  Yet others are trading in money and prestige for lower pay and peace of mind.  We burn out when we lose the correct balance between workload, control, reward, community/family, equity, and personal values.

Employers are shifting to what might best be described as a “wholistic” approach to managing.  They recognize that when their people go home at the end of the day, the employees still have other jobs to do: parent, spouse, bill-payer, installer, maintenance person, and on and on. Some are, in fact, leading lives of quiet desperation.

The unbalanced life of a workaholic - the person who puts work/job ahead of everything else - is increasingly regarded as being dangerous and counterproductive.  Today’s employers know they are working with “whole” persons.  When you are happy - in all aspects of your life - you are of greater value to the organization. 

   Remember:     Balance is a Verb; it will always be moving and changing

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