It’s 9:00am on a Tuesday morning. Nancy is collecting her final reports and finalizing her agenda for the big meeting at 9:30am. As the VP of Communications, company success rides on her ability to be present and productive in the office. Then she gets a phone call at 9:15am from the school her child attends.
“Andrew’s got a fever and needs to go home. We don’t want to spread whatever he has” the nurse communicates.
(Photo Credit: theguardian)
The President of Nancy’s organization has been flexible in the past with unexpected emergencies, but this meeting concerns a time sensitive project. Coordinating everyone’s hectic schedules to set the meeting was a challenge in the first place. The pressure is building up. She knows Laura down the hall has been eyeing her position. Nancy is stuck in a tight spot.
Let’s discuss the best possible mind-set as well as course of action for everyone involved in a situation like Nancy’s…
Tips for Nancys:
- Establish in advance a network of friends or family who might be able to assist.
- Keep your employer abreast of your home situation as well as emergency plans.
- Clearly communicate when you are leaving the office and what (if anything) you will not be able to accomplish due to the emergency.
- Verbally express your appreciation to the team and your boss.
- Communicate your confidentiality needs with your boss, so there are no surprises.
- As a parent, task organization, and time management is detrimental. Plan accordingly.
Tips for Co-Workers:
- It’s easy to feel like you’re picking up all the slack, but try to be emotionally intelligent by considering the added stress of parenting.
- Remember that you may have emergencies in the future that will call for work flexibility as well.
- Delegate and prioritize assignments that fall to you in your co-worker’s absence. It makes a lot more sense for everyone to split up the tasks, rather than one individual.
- Remember that employers are blind to your above and beyond commitment. Showing you are a team player speaks well for your future in a company.
- Though it is important to be a team-player, there is a line when too much is spilling on to your load. Gently convey this to a co-worker if they are simply not pulling their weight.
Tips for Employers:
- Don’t think in terms of what is causing employees to miss work. Think instead in terms of their productivity. While offering flexibility, assign assignments based on availability.
- Communicate well with your employees so that they feel comfortable seeking flex-time as needed. Otherwise, employee productivity will suffer. Effective communication leads to effective work life balance.
- Understand well enough what is happening on your employees’ agendas to carry on a time sensitive duty or delegate if needed.
- Technology is also a potential help in these situations. What are the phone and email rules for communicating with employees during an emergency? Establish a clear understanding with all employees as to what electronic or phone communication is acceptable during regular flex-time verses serious emergencies.
- As a general rule, keep communications private.
