Leadership: are you a workaholic?
Posted by admin in Management & Execution on Mon, 05/07/2010 - 14:39
A growing number of highly paid professionals are endangering their health by logging more than 60 hours per week, travelling regularly and responding to clients 24 hours a day, according to a new study from the US.
Yet, despite the toll these hours take on their personal lives, two thirds of the professionals surveyed say they love their jobs, according to a study, 'Extreme Jobs: the Dangerous Allure of the 70-hour Workweek' co-authored by Sylvia Ann Hewlett president of the Centre for Work Life Policy and Carolyn Buck Luce, Partner at Ernst & Young.
This is not surprising in a culture that embraces over-the-top pressure and over-the-top performance, says Hewlett.
While 64% of those surveyed admitted that the workaholic lifestyle was their choice, 70% said it undermined their health, and brought on health issues related to stress. Moreover, 59% said it gets in the way of relationships.
Bryan Robinson, a psychotherapist and author of 'Working Ourselves to Death: the High Costs of Workaholism and the Rewards of Recovery', identifies the following five common traits that workaholics exhibit when their absorption with their jobs has begun to take over their lives. Some individuals may only have one of two of the traits but exhibit them to a very great degree.
1. Preoccupation with work
Workaholics may not be able to leave their work in the office and find that they can’t stop talking about work in social settings. Do you find yourself taking about taxes, business and financing at social events? It might be time to take a break!
2. Discomfort in delegating
Most workaholics want control and tend to think that only they can handle a task properly. They then pile the pressure on themselves to get through a mountain of tasks when they could be sharing the responsibility.
3. Neglect other aspects of their life
Have you forgotten an important birthday or anniversary due to work? Does your other half jokingly refer to your work as 'the other woman/man'? Making time for family and friends can be difficult when there's a lot on at work, but no matter how busy you are you should always try.
4. Merge other parts of their lives into work
Workaholics may try to create businesses based on their hobbies, or turn personal relationships into business projects. While this can work well some of the time, some things are best left separate.
5. “Sneaking” work
Like other addicts, workaholics often try to hide their addiction. “If you find you have to lie to people about where you are or what you are doing, there is a problem,” says says Gayle Porter, associate professor of management at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Cure that addiction
Specialists recommend that hard-working and dedicated individuals take the following practical steps to make sure that their enthusiasm for their jobs is not threatening their health and relationships:
- Set boundaries: After work hours, leave your BlackBerry in the car or turn it off. If you must check your work email, limit your log-ins. Eat lunch away from your desk, and don't bring work on holiday with you.
- Reframe your identity: At social events, practice introducing yourself and conversing without talking about your job or work.
- Track your habits: Keep a journal of daily activities, work and personal. Evaluate it once a month, looking for imbalances. Identify areas of your life you may need to dedicate more time to.
The Bottom Line:If Mr Cable has his way...
"If Mr Cable had his way, all the big banks would be broken up and bonuses would be virtually eliminated - a sure-fire way in my view of guaranteeing an end to the UK’s ability to compete as an international financial centre. Let’s not forget that this is a man who is on record as saying that everyone who works in a bank has an ‘aristocratic lifestyle’ clearly demonstrating his lack of understanding of the sector." A tough line on bankers’ bonuses could make a brain drain of financial talent a distinct possibility, warns Paul Marsden. Read more