Hey Management, Get a Life!

There is a disturbing trend in American business today; non-recognition of what was once normal hours, (i.e. 8 to 4, 9 to 5 etc.) I am constantly bombarded with horror stories at my seminars with employees working a 60, 70 or more hour week.

Now come on! I can understand working late hours to solve a problem or meet a deadline. I’ve even worked around the clock at times, but there was always a light at the end of the tunnel. I have heard statements like, “We can’t increase head count” or “It is expected that you stay an extra two hours per day.” Expected by whom, managers that have no life and expect their subordinates to give up theirs? In times of recession, it is understandable to pull out all stops and do what it takes to stay afloat by doing more with less, but in times of a stable economy, I hear this from employees of companies that are growing, expanding and acquiring.

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates began their business and trend of ongoing hours and all companies seemed to adopt the same attitude. Steve said that you’ve got to love the 90 hour week and Microsoft is more a commune than a company.

A survey was taken of the most successful people in the country to explore the traits they had in common. One trait was a balanced life. They worked hard and they played hard. They made sure to spend quality time with family and friends. Even Bill has seen the light since he started a family.

We’ve got it all backwards. The reason we work is to have a quality of life. No one can dispute that you should give 100 percent if not 110 percent of your effort on the job. However, one should be given the opportunity to leave at the end of the day to enjoy their lives. People, balancing family and career still have to do work when they get home.

Corporate loyalty has become a dinosaur and management got it the old fashioned way, they earned it.

For more information or to debate this subject matter, Mort could be reached at mortalk77@gmail.com or Follow on www.twitter.com/mortteisch or Connect with me on www.linkedin.com/in/mortteisch