How to set fair after-hours work expectations
More and more, a 9-to-5 job seems like a light workload. Employees are expected to spend more and more hours working, even when they'e not at work. Without preset expectations, however, you could be sending mixed messages to your employees. Fast Company gives four steps to setting appropriate after-hours work expectations.
Recognize that you have to initiate the conversation with your direct reports.They won’t because they don’t want you to misinterpret their questions as, “I don’t want to work hard.” For example, I worked with a senior leader who always caught the 5:00 a.m. bus to the office. On his ride, he did all of his emails and was so pleased that his team were "morning people, too--they get right back to me!" Imagine his surprise when I told him, “Actually, many are setting alarms for 5 a.m. to be awake and reply to you.” “What?!” he responded, “Why didn’t they say anything?” To the person, they all told me they were afraid he would question their commitment if they did.
Full story at Fast Company.
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