We’ve all worked long hours in our careers and it’s very much appreciated by all when your team is short-handed and it’s all hands on deck. That is the time to be the team player and step it up! But what about working those long hours all the time? Is that showing you’re going above and beyond, working hard and being the ultimate team player? I used to think so but then I changed my perspective and gained an appreciation for those employees and leaders who seemed to get it done within the normal time. So what does working long hours potentially communicate? Some may perceive those long hours as a negative and question a leader or individual contributor’s efficiency and work life balance.

Efficiency

As a leader, I’ve worked with efficient and inefficient employees. Both types of employees work hard, want to do a good job and committed but some seem to have created efficiencies to achieve great results within the allotted time and often with time to spare. (Just to clarify, an efficiency is not a shortcut that is unethical or non compliant) I also had employees say the efficient employees may be slackers because they have all this free time and are lazy. My response was if they figured it out and produced the desired results we needed, more power to them! Of course, as a leader, it was now my job to ensure we kept these efficient employees engaged in their job and their career and to share their knowledge with others. The perception I had of leaders and individual contributors who worked long hours was that they were inefficient and struggled to get the job done within the timeframe. The key to rectifying inefficiency was identifying the root cause which widely varied among employees. My advice is to never assume anything! Ask questions and work together. The much more important issue with long hours was work life balance!

Work Life Balance

We hear this phrase all the time, but it is darn important to have a healthy balance. Those long hours over long periods of time are a fast track to employee burnout! One can not sustain those long hours and it creates problems with their family, their health and their happiness. Not good folks! A proper work life balance makes employees even more efficient and productive since they get away from work and disconnect. When they return to work, their batteries are charged and they feel refreshed and energized! That’s an employee that is a great asset to everyone! Proper balance is a MUST!!!!!

Employees Looking In

If you’re in another department and you see individual contributors or leaders working long hours all the time, would YOU want to work in that department? Heck No! If someone is interested in getting into leadership and they see their manager or other managers working all the time, is that something you’d want to pursue? Probably not! The perception of seeing employees working long hours to others is an unattractive one! Employees notice and they talk so be careful of the perception to others. 

Working long hours is definitely needed on occasion but should never be a habit! If you’re in this habit, my advice is to break it! It creates a perception to others of inefficiency, fast track to burnout and possible hurt your chances for other career opportunities. Being efficient and completing work within 8 hours while meeting the desired results is the goal to ensure a well balanced life and positive perception from others!