Search the site...

  phil mora
  • The Global Nomad
  • About
  • Contact
  • The Training Log
  • The Global Nomad
  • About
  • Contact
  • The Training Log

The Global Nomad
(Doer edition)

Follow

Welcome to the 72-Hour Work Week

10/1/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
What is the future of work ? In a post-backberry and BYOD world, old-world companies use 24-7 connectedness to compensate for organizational inefficiencies. It significantly undermines manager’s personal lives, productivity, creativity, and ability to think strategically. The most issues are centered on useless meetings and emails, inadequate technology, disorganized or incompetent C-suites, and unclear decision-making authority. The transition from the old organizational model is happening now so pay attention and change accordingly.

-Philippe.

[Thank you Harvard Business Review | by Jennifer J. Deal  09.12.13]
How many hours do you think the average American professional works each week? If you think 40, 50 or even 60, think again. For many, 72 hours is the new norm.

In a recent survey of 483 executives, managers, and professionals (EMPs), we found that 60% of those who carry smartphones for work are connected to their jobs 13.5 or more hours a day on weekdays and about five hours on weekends, for a total of about 72 hours. Assuming these people sleep about seven and a half hours a night, that leaves only three hours a day Monday-Friday for them to do everything else (e.g. chores, exercise, grocery shop, family time, shower, relax). It also means they spend 62% of their waking hours every week connected to work (82% on weekdays). That seems like a lot.

But it’s not the connectedness itself that bothers EMPs; in fact, in many cases they appreciate it. One EMP described getting an urgent work request via her personal smartphone while she was on vacation but said she was happy to handle it because it took her two minutes, compared to the hour it might have taken another person. She cares about her work and her colleagues and wants to save others time and trouble, wherever she is.
What does bother EMPs is when companies use 24-7 connectedness to compensate for organizational inefficiencies and when it significantly undermines their personal lives, productivity, creativity, and ability to think strategically. The complaints we heard most often (from at least three-quarters and as high as 96% of respondents) centered on useless meetings and emails, inadequate technology, disorganized or incompetent C-suites, and unclear decision-making authority.




One manager we interviewed talked about an incident where he was out on a date and received a message saying he had to get on a strategy call with an executive at 9pm on a Friday night. This wasn’t an emergency; the manager had simply changed his mind about a decision he’d made earlier that week and that was in the process of being implemented. Another study participant who moved from an executive job requiring him to be constantly connected (including on weekends and holidays) to a position at another company with a less demanding schedule told us it was a dramatic shift. Previously exhausted and stressed, he said he felt “a huge difference.” “It’s astonishing how much you can get done when you’re not in meetings for 10 hours a day and things aren’t cycling 24/7. Since people aren’t working round-the-clock, I don’t get stuck in responder mode. I can actually think a little bit about what I need to do, which is saving me time and lowering my stress level. This is certainly not a low-stress job, but I don’t feel like I’m in hyper-drive mode all the time anymore. I’m really energized.”

The message is clear: EMPs don’t necessarily mind being connected to work for more than eight hours a day. But they are upset when it happens because leaders don’t respect their time or their official work day is wasted, so they have to make up the time working from their laptops or smartphones at home.
There are many steps organizations can take to avoid this problem. Frequent equipment and software upgrades can ease technological delays, for example. Clear decision-making guidelines will prevent bottlenecks in the chain of command. Reducing and eliminating meetings will free up schedules so work can get done during work hours. And C-suite leadership that emphasizes both the importance of not wasting time and the benefits of down time can go a long way toward changing the always-on culture.

We’ll never be truly disconnected from work again. But smart organizations will make sure their employees appreciate that connectedness.

Read More: http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/09/welcome-to-the-72-hour-work-we/

JENNIFER J. DEAL
Jennifer J. Deal is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Creative Leadership in San Diego and the author of Retiring the Generation Gap (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2007).

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    i blog about the things I love: fitness, hacking work, tech, Experiences and anything holistic.

    Picture

    Phil Mora

    > Head of Digital  Product at Nutrien
    > I am passionate about delivering products and technologies that change people's lives
    ​> I look forward to connecting with you!

    Categories

    All
    Change Agents
    Experiences
    Fitness
    Hacking Work
    Technology

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010

    RSS Feed

Phil Mora . 2225 E Bayshore Road . Palo Alto, CA 94393
Phone: (415) 315-9787 . twitter
@philippemora . Instagram philippemora


Copyright © 1999-2020 Philippe Mora