Fewer Places to Hide
From A Minute of Margin, by Richard A. Swenson, M.D.
It goes without saying that most employers and managers are more invested in the job than the people they supervise. This often makes for a natural asymmetry between their expectations and those of their employees. Meanwhile workers, who might not be interested in 24/7 availability, have fewer places to hide. “Where were you yesterday?” the boss might ask. “I was trying to reach you all day!” Never mind that it was Saturday and you were camping with the children. Or that it was Christmas Day and you were halfway to Grandma’s house. “You know your boss is on vacation,” quipped one employee, “when you receive 3 percent fewer emails from her.” . . .
Communication technology has entered a new era and continuous accessibility is now a real possibility. It is time for a rational discussion of the massive implications this holds for workplace sustainability, morale, productivity, efficiency, innovation, and creativity. It turns out, if you really want to be a good worker, there are times when you must be disconnected from the office.
Think
• How does the availability afforded by e-mail and cell phones impact your stress on the job?
• In what ways does this 24/7 communication decrease stress on the job?
• What experiences have you had with 24/7 availability that have challenged your ability to separate work and nonwork time?
• What is the value in separating yourself from 24/7 availability?
How can you do this?
Pray
Lord, give me wisdom to . .
Copied from Juggling Chainsaws on a Tightrope by The Navigators, © 2007. Used by permission fo NavPress, www.navpress.com. All rights reserved.