8/11/2019 Hr & Admin-seven Ways Admins Can Maintain Work Life Balance

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SEVEN WAYS ADMINS CAN MAINTAIN WORK LIFE BALANCE

Many work-life coaches glibly assert that administrative professionals must beresponsible for achieving their own balance in the face of ever-increasing

demands -- from 9 to 5 and beyond. But given their spot in the org chart, adminsoften feel compelled to sacrifice too much for their jobs.

!t"s a partnership, but management has the bigger responsibility for admins"work-life balance, because how work is structured affects the ability of admins tohave balance,# says $llen %ossek, a coauthor of CEO of Me: Creating a Life thatWorks in the Flexible Job Ageand a professor of human resource managementand organi&ational behavior at Michigan 'tate (niversity. Backup arrangementsand rules about work schedules are e)amples of management and *+ policiesthat can constrain an admin"s ability to maintain balance.

ith these challenging dynamics in mind, here are seven tips for admins whowant to get a life -- or keep the one they"ve got -- while performing to theirbosses" e)pectations.

1. Establish Limits Earl Thr!"#h Strat$#i% &"$sti!'s

hen"s the best time to set up work-life balance hen you"re new to the job or,even better, weighing a job offer. But do it tactfully. ou"ve got a certain set ofthings you want to happen in the negotiation, but you can"t say, /0his is the wayit"s going to be,"# says %evin ilson, coauthor of Administrative Assistants andSeretar!s "andbook. 'o ask 1uestions like, /hen would you e)pect me to be

on call when !"m out of the office"#

(. D!')t *i+$ Y!"r B!ss (,- A%%$ss Via T$%h'!l!#

hen your manager hands you a shiny new laptop or handheld email device,remember it can turn out to be more of a burden than a status symbol.

! have a 0reo, but !"m only accessible that way while !"m at work,# says Marlana'immen, e)ecutive assistant to the 2$3 of orkplace 3ptions, which provideswork-life programs to employers. 0here was a clear understanding from thebeginning that nights and weekends are usually not work hours.# !n a special

situation, 'immen"s boss will call her cell phone.

/. D!')t L$t Y!"r I'b!0 Ma'a#$ Y!"

!t"s a natural but potentially destructive habit to immediately act on everymessage that interrupts you -- whether you"re at your desk or snoo&ing in ahammock on a 'unday afternoon. 'o train yourself to think before you checkemail or voice mail.

8/11/2019 Hr & Admin-seven Ways Admins Can Maintain Work Life Balance

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!t"s usually not necessary to respond to emails on weekends or at night,# says4im Bird, 2$3 of orkifeBalance. com. 4ust because it"s convenient for theboss to get them out then, it doesn"t mean they e)pect an immediate response.#

,. Ma$ 2ri!riti$s E03li%it

ist your work priorities for the week with e)pected dates of completion,#suggests Bird. 3n Monday morning, share the list with the people you support,and ask if they need to change any priorities. 6s they add items through theweek, ask if they need to change your priorities.#

4. B$ Fl$0ibl$5 T!!

0here"s no balance without give-and-take. 'o be fle)ible when you can, ande)pect your manager to reciprocate.

! had some minor back surgery recently,# says 'immen. 0he boss was veryfle)ible about me working from home during my recovery. !n return, ! scheduledthe surgery when there weren"t any site visits.#

6. Cr$at$ a Ch$at Sh$$t 7!r Em$r#$'%i$s

hen your personal life calls 7- especially if you care for children or agingparents -7 you may need to make an abrupt departure from the office. ou"ll saveyourself a lot of stress just by preparing for this eventuality.

Make sure your managers know how to do things like book a meeting room,#says ilson. 8ut together a cheat sheet for them in case you have to run out thedoor.#

. 2ri!riti8$ Y!"r W$ll9B$i'#

inally, if necessary, tactfully remind your boss you won"t be able to perform toyour potential unless you have time for +:+ -- in the form of most evenings andweekends off work and vacations free from interruption, or nearly so.

or their health, admins need time to recover from work,# says %ossek.

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