Workscape Institute

This morning had a difficult start, as my son and daughter had doctor’s appointments first thing. While this isn’t a really big deal, yesterday I had to take my son to the same doctor for conjunctivitis. I’m sure the doctor was glad to see him again, knowing that it was 24 hours later and he wasn’t contagious anymore.

The doctor’s trips were also challenging because I found it somehow difficult to balance that much time for my kids with the pressures of work sitting in the back of my mind at a critical time for many of my projects. I felt very guilty that I was spending more time on my kids this morning then work. However, now I feel more guilt for having felt guilty in the first place. Being a father should be a number one priority.

Follow up:

It’s interesting to think about how an uncertain economy affects our perception of our jobs - even those of us who are lucky to have found a position which not only offers us challenges and rewards, but also provides us with some sense of stability and security. As many lose their jobs and the population worrying about it grows by the hour, there is a heightened sense of appreciation for that sense of security – and mutual benefit to be had by strengthening that feeling.

Communications between an employee and their manager during these tough times needs to be more straightforward and honest especially about goals and objectives than at any other time. There can be no surprises during reviews or evaluations or rewards communications. Emotions are running high, and there is very little room for misunderstanding. Missed expectations can cause dramatic changes in employment relationships, whereas a shared, clear understanding contributes to shared success.

So before I invested the time with my children at the doctor’s office, I invested some time with my boss ensuring he knew where I was and what to expect upon my return. He understood that being a father comes first and appreciated the need for balance as he was sure that I would provide the required number of hours and the required amount of effort in order to satisfy my objectives for the day. There was an alignment that existed between him and me, ensuring that we both get what we needed to from productivity, and a personal, perspective.

So now it’s 5:43 PM and I’m about to head home for supper with my family. While I will crack open my computer later, at least I’ll know that before my children went to bed I gave them everything I could.