Navigating the Four-Day Work Week

‘Can I work part-time?’

As a team lead and hiring manager I hear this question a lot, now that the four-day workweek is a ‘thing’ – and for the right candidate it’s a no-brainer.

via GIPHY

I consider myself as a four-day workweek pioneer, blazing a part-time trail before it was cool.  It started when I was returning from maternity leave. I wanted to work part-time but was confident I could handle the demands of the role in fewer hours. 

I felt a bit nervous asking the hiring manager, but his answer surprised me: ‘I love part-team people.  They cost less, waste less time, and work harder.’

I accepted the offer and ended up doing two full-time roles in twenty hours a week, which was possible because the team culture supported me and we had top notch collaboration tools.

Now I pay it forward, not because it’s trendy to offer a four-day work week, or even because multiple four-day work week experiments have shown higher productivity and engagement.  It's because being flexible gives me access to some amazingly talented people who can effectively manage their time and deliver key results faster.

There’s a flip side, of course: skipped team lunches, minimal time for networking, leaving earlier than everyone else, missing meetings, etc.  But all that can be managed though proper expectations setting and proactive communication. 

If being available and ‘being seen’ are prioritized at your company, you may not be ready to accommodate part-time people in leadership or high visibility roles.  That’s fine but you may be missing out on some great talent, or paying people to focus on non-mission critical tasks.

Is a four-day work week right for your team or company? 

First let’s look at the benefits:

• Access to talent – A growing number of senior professionals prefer part-time opportunities because their expertise makes them highly efficient.
• Employer band – Making flexible work schedules and part time opportunities part of your employer brand will help you attract the best people.
• Mental health – Having afternoons free or one day off provides space to manage one’s personal life with less stress.
• Lower salary costs – While subject to negotiation, part-time professionals may accept a lower salary in exchange for flexibility, plus salaries are typically prorated by hours worked. 
• Engagement – Taking a bit of time away from work and work-related emails has a beneficial head clearing effect that increases engagement.
• Productivity - Embracing a shorter work week creates an opportunity to rethink processes and workflows to make them more efficient.

Now let’s look at a couple of caveats because a four-day work week isn’t for everyone:

• Right role – A four-day work week shouldn’t necessitate hiring extra personnel, which is why creative, strategic, or even leadership roles may work better than customer service or 'bottleneck' roles that others depend on.  
• Right experience – Someone with little job experience may need the five days to learn the ropes – in my first management role I worked about 60 hours a week but quite a bit of that was figuring stuff out.
• Right level of maturity – The four-day model works best with people who know how to manage their time and key stakeholders - a certain amount of finesse and experience are required.
• Right manager – If your company's managers learned most of what they know about leadership in the 90s this model is probably not for you.  
• Not everyone wants it!  According to recent EU stats most people are still looking for full-time work, either out of habit or for the higher earning potential.

The corporate world isn't yet ready for a universal four-day work week, but you can pilot the idea and get most of the benefits by: 1) offering it where it makes sense; and 2) supporting the arrangement with tools, communication, expectations setting, etc. so it works.

Whether or not you like the idea of the four-day work week, more people are asking for personalized work arrangements and choosing to work for companies that offer it.

Women 2.0 - Infographic

Check out this infographic on Women @ Work, courtesy of the MBA program at UNC.  Read more about it here.


Via MBA@UNC MBA Online & Women 2.0

German Companies Doing Good Things

Just a quick hat tip to three German companies that are blazing environmental and modern workforce trails for the rest of us:

1. Siemens for opting out of the nuclear business, a brave decision that shows big companies can do the right thing.
2. Deutsche Telekom for providing flexible working hours and supporting a family-friendly work environment.
3. Volkswagon for turning off Blackberry email after hours to promote a better work life balance for employees.

Well done, you! And Merry Christmas (or happy holidays) to everyone.

Project Social: The Happy Post

I recently read an article called 12 Things Happy People Do Differently, and was struck by how closely it mirrored my recent thoughts.  In fact, here are my tips for having a magical holiday season and a happier year to come.  You’ll be amazed at the similarities.

No, I didn’t copy, it’s just that great minds think alike!  (And speaking of great minds, be sure to check out what Dave and Lyn have to say this holiday season over at HR Official and The HR Bacon Hut).

Here are my tips for leading a happier life - In all honesty, I don't always follow them but I am happier when I do:

1. Assume the best - Assuming the best - even if you’re wrong - can give you the confidence and positive energy you need to find the best.
2. Be grateful - There are countless people who have helped you get to where you are today.  Be grateful to them and let the rest go.
3. Be generous - A friend once said to me, ‘We are here to help each other.’  Is there anyone you can help or share with today, in the spirit of those who have helped and shared with you?  
4. Ask for help - No one can do everything alone, which is why the most successful people get lots of help.  Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need and say thank you, in case you didn’t learn that one in kindergarten.
5. Treat yourself - Obsessing about your own comfort or convenience is not the road to happiness but a facial or a little cake at the right moment goes a long way toward making everything right with the world. 
6. Make time for people - People are social animals and die sooner without meaningful social contact.  Don’t make a habit of neglecting family and friends for things that don't matter - and if you tell yourself you're 'doing it for them' on a too regular basis, give yourself the hairy eyeball.
7. Be in the moment - You're sitting here reading this post, breathing air on a planet that circles a sun in a solar system in an enormous galaxy that is actually a tiny blip in an enormous universe made up primarily of nothing - or maybe bozons, I wasn’t totally clear on that.  Let the shopping list go for a minute and really look at what’s around you. 
8. Be still - Shh!  The health benefits of stillness are well documented.  Find some time every day to be still and watch your thoughts.  Get to know yourself.
9. Believe in yourself - You will fail sometimes.  That’s OK.  Plan what you can plan and prepare what you can prepare.  If it doesn’t work out, take it on the chin and move on.
10. Have faith - Things have a funny way of working out.  Be ready for that open door.

One more thing: I was once driving on an icy road when my windshield fluid ran out.  My window promptly started to fog, making it difficult to see the oncoming traffic.  And wouldn’t you know it, my cell phone was dead, so pulling over wasn’t an attractive option.  I was just on the verge of getting really worried about the fact that I was driving 80km/hr on a 2-way road  I could no longer see when a truck rattled by, narrowly missing me and splashing my windshield with some extra windshield fluid.  The ice promptly melted and I could see again.  Was that a miracle?  I’m inclined to think it was, just like my kids are a miracle, autumn leaves are a miracle and social networks are a miracle.

Miracles are all around us.

Merry Christmas!

Project Social: Rise (Nothing to do with Zombies)

I admit it, blogging has taken a backseat to paid work since I returned from maternity leave but I still meet  regularly with my Project Social buddy Dave to talk about posts we would write if we (I) had more time. 

Having said that, this week we not only decided to write something but to do something completely new and cutting edge: A book review! Don't miss Dave's review over at HR Official or Lyn's at the HR Bacon Hut. 

And if anyone else would like to join the book review party train drop us a line and we'll link to you.  We're very social.

My book is Rise by Patty Azzarello, which is the best book of its kind I have read so far.  What kind of book is it, you ask?  It's book about setting and meeting professional goals and what you need to know to get ahead.

I don't actually read many books like this.  I mean, I would but then I'd have less time to read science fiction.  Plus it feels so just out of grad school.  But Patty's newsletter, which I subscribe to, is so well-written and useful that I decided to read her book as well. 

Why is the book so good?  It has a lot to do with Patty herself, such as her conversational tone, crisp prose and vast corporate experience.  But it also has to do with the numerous practical tips and examples she provides throughout the book for doing better work, getting noticed and getting ahead.

They say that those who can't, teach but occasionally, those who can, teach and then you want to pay attention.  This is one of those times.  Patty has actually done all the stuff she recommends and it worked and in Rise she shares her secrets with wisdom and humor.

Seriously.  This is the book I'd like to have written if I'd been promoted to GM of a big multinational company at the age of 33 and gone on to become a CEO.  And I don't just say that about every book.

Mind you, I don't aspire to the C-level.  I admit that there are a few mothers of three out there who have made it to the corner office but they're so rare they get invited to speak at TED about their amazing nannies success secrets.  So you might say I'm not exactly the target audience for a book of this kind.

But you'd be wrong because Rise isn't just for would be executives.  It's a practical guide for anyone who wants to raise their game and get their work noticed instead of toiling in obscurity.  We can all use that, right?

Imagine you could have lunch with a wise, seasoned executive of your choice in an expansive mood.  Rise is like a pocket mentor.

Read this book.  You will like Patty and wish you knew her personally.  You will instantly start thinking more strategically about how you work and feel more in charge of your life. 

As an added bonus, you will finally understand why new executives need to re-organize everything. 

This Is How We Roll In Bavaria

In honor of Oktoberfest season here in Munich - and because I've been too busy to write anything new - I've decided to re-publish an excerpt from an article I wrote back in 2008 about what to expect at Oktoberfest.  The Oktoberfest Planning Commission has made this required reading for all first-time Oktoberfest attendees so please read the following very carefully.

(OK, I made that up.)

The Four Phases of Oktoberfest*
 
Phase I: Why are people staring at me?
You’ve had your first refreshing sip of ice-cold beer and are prepared to enjoy yourself but several complete strangers are looking at you as if they’ve known you forever and really like you and it’s just a little embarrassing. So you watch the band and look at the ceiling and gulp beer whenever anyone catches your eye, including your boss who's at the next table three sheets to the wind.

Phase II: I love you guys
You’ve finished your first beer and started on a second when it hits you that we are all connected. You start waving excitedly and blowing kisses to people at other tables and most of them wave and blow kisses back, except that guy two tables over who just threw up into his beer. This is the best phase to be in when you have to go to the bathroom because the deep, genuine love you feel for everyone around you allows you to glide past people and obstacles without getting yelled at or arrested. All you have to do is go to the front of the line, put your arms around the person you displaced - as long as they don't work with you - and tell them you love them... right before you dart into the bathroom and lock the door. When you come out they probably won’t be there anymore and even if they are, chances are that they will back away from you nervously so you're home free.

Phase III: I understand everything now
 
Finally, the unified field theory has been solved by you and the fundamental nature of the universe is no longer a mystery. The nature of the universe is hilariously funny so you laugh out loud. You share your new knowledge with the person sitting next to you and they totally get it. Now that you’ve solved the mysteries of the universe together you know that you’ll be friends forever. Unfortunately, neither of you will remember any of this tomorrow.


Phase IV: It's all good
In this phase, you have moved beyond understanding everything to a quiet, content acceptance of everything exactly as it is. Suddenly you realize that this is a perfect time for a Fischsemmel, which is pickled mackerel on a Kaiser roll with a slice of onion.** As you take that first tangy and slightly chewy bite your happiness is complete.


*There are actually 5 phases but Phase 5 happens the next day and isn’t nearly so nice as the other phases. I won’t say much about Phase V, except that it is a lot less full of universal love, omniscience and Fischsemmel than the previous phases. 

**It's better than it sounds.

While I Was Gone

I just spent a glorious week disconnected on a dairy farm in the Italian Alps.  As you can imagine, the milk was quite good.  And the disconnection... priceless.

So, I haven't been blogging or tweeting for a whole week but strangely, I don't feel behind on things.  There's no need to 'catch up' as you do with work emails, you just plug back in. 

And as it happens, there was some activity during my absence:

One of my Compensation Cafe posts went live: 'How To Take Credit for Paying Less.'  This post started out with the title, 'Does This Compensation Make Me Look Fat?' but I couldn't make the analogy work without some fairly obvious contriving and reluctantly let it go.  Blog posts do tend to write themselves and this particular post wanted to be a post about how to communicate low salary in a positive light rather than how poorly tailored compensation makes your company look fat.  Go figure.

At Women of HR you can check out my most recent post 'Are Part-Time Employees the Deal of the Century?' about the general fabulousness of part-time employees, in particular working moms.  Spoiler: Companies who want to increase their overall workforce productivity might consider giving leadership roles to people who have to get home by 4 rather than to people who have all the time in the world because their spouse is holding down the fort.  I'm just saying.

Next, my close personal friend Jason Seiden hosted a all around good Leadership Carnival this month featuring one of my posts 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective 5-Year-Olds.'  Gotta love that guy.  He's funny.

My other virtual friend and project social collaborator William Gould hosted a timely and relevant Online Social Currency Carnival of HR that includes one of my social media related posts 'Project Social: What is Influence?" (Hint: It's getting someone to press a button.)

Finally, if you haven't checked out my recent YouTube video 'The Cost of Disengagement' I encourage you to do so since it may well be the only one I will ever do.  No promises, though, I may inflict more of them on the world if the mood strikes me or I have another good hair day.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective 5-Year-Olds

It recently occurred to me that there’s a lot leaders can learn from 5-year-olds.  For example:

1. Use what you have – Don’t have a dollhouse?  Use a shoe box!
2. Don’t be afraid to use stuff in a new way – Ignore that nice stable mommy bought you for your toy horses, make your own using a bead necklace.
3. Be insatiably curious – Enough said.
4. Make time to play – As Mary Poppins taught us, the potential for fun lurks where you least expect it.
5. Always be closing – Children are born negotiators.  It never hurts to ask.  And ask again.  And again.  
6. Shake it off – So you got egg all over the kitchen counter, that shouldn’t stop you from knowing you can break the eggs perfectly next time.
7. Don’t stereotype or judge – Everyone is a potential friend, playmate or someone to help you paint your wall with fingernail polish.

And one bonus habit:

Be in the moment - The place is here.  The time is now.

Fair Pay and Keeping It Together

My latest posts at Compensation Cafe and Women of HR:

If Compensation Could Talk Would it Say, 'Go Away'?

10 Tips for Keeping It Together

Six Ways to Improve Work Life Balance

If work life balance is a topic that preoccupies you, check out this new Focus brief 6 Ways to Improve Work Life Balance.  You ca also join the discussion here.