The last frontier in workplace flexibility is the person looking back at you in the mirror. We often focus on what employers can do for employees, but there hasn’t been much conversation about what we can do for our employers.
Yes, employers need to figure out how they can establish workplaces that honor the needs people have to take care of all aspects of their lives. And, yes, employers need to equip managers to lead effectively in flexible work environments.
But every employee fortunate enough to work for a company that offers flexibility (or any company for that matter) has some responsibility, too. The “ask not what your country can do for you” line of thinking may not be as much in vogue today as it once was, but it is an essential mindset needed to succeed in a flexible work environment. Whether flexibility is part of the equation or not, there are eight questions you should ask yourself before accepting a new position or continuing in your current role:
- Take a look at the position description that details what is expected of you. What did you sign up for?
- Are you self-disciplined enough to work remotely (i.e. at home, odd hours) and get the results expected of you, or are you easily distracted?
- When you’re working in the office at your desk, or on the line, are you fully productive?
- Are you clear about the mission and vision of your company, and how you fit in? Does it excite and motivate you?
- Are you passionate about your work, and do you add value? When you end each day, do you feel fulfilled, or are you just glad it’s over?
- Where are you in your life? What other obligations and commitments do you have?
- Can you effectively honor all of the choices you’ve made in life, including the job you accepted?
- If life throws you a curve-ball, or if you make a choice that interferes with your ability to honor your work commitment, what should you do? What do you expect your employer to do?
We work in a competitive democracy where the best person for the job should have it, and entitlement isn’t part of the fundamental equation on which our country was founded. And when we accept jobs, we need to honor our commitment, or walk away.
Businesses are in business to stay in business. Companies need people to help them accomplish their objectives. It is a privilege, not a right, to have been hired. There has to be give and take on both sides, and there can be a win/win.
As employees, it is our responsibility to ascertain the intersection of our skills, abilities, experience, passion, work ethic, and availability, and to live up to the stewardships we’ve accepted in our jobs.
If we’re not willing or able to do that, we need to find other alternatives. Life is short, and we should not let a single day slip away unwisely used. Nor should we be thieves and cling to jobs to which we add little value or have little passion. No company deserves to have someone on their payroll who has “quit and stayed.” And we owe it to ourselves to put forth effort and deliver results that make us feel proud and fulfilled.
Think about it - If you owned your own business and needed every single person to give their all every day, would you hire you? #worklifewins #ryantax �)���hM .+�l�
