Always leave the office on time

I found this poster on a business community I'm a member of.

Given the demographics we have on this forum, I'm wondering who here agrees with it or disagrees with it?

I think a healthy balance is always needed but there's also an efficiency cap a well.

 

You can't brown nose from home though

 

That's a bit extreme. I understand there is a point being made. Maybe a bit of exaggeration for emphasis. A think the message is to have a healthy work/life balance.

 

Depends on the industry you are in.

My previous industry - Golf Pro Shops, and currently automotive workshop/tyres; sometimes you simply cannot get out of the joint on time; even if you are the King of Time Management and Efficiency...

Sometimes shoit just happens during the days.

 

Everyone's "on time "differs I guess.
Your responsibilities means you have to stay back to complete tasks but your not going to further stay back another hour, you'll balance it to leave asap

 

All for the message of having a healthy work life balance - definitely.

In saying that, IMO its getting a bit old school IMO to have set work hours in many industries - we're not a 9-5 economy anymore and certain industries need to adjust. Competition makes/forces that to happen. You've just seen test cricket adjust to the 21st century!

Retail sector IMO needs to shake that up (although the unions may have a heart attack). From a consumer standpoint, it makes sense have retail stores like Myer open between 6-9pm than 9-12am IMO.

Using politicial jargon speak - 'we need to become a flexible, agile, adaptable economy of the 21st century'. I'm sure Turnballs said some variant of that line repeatedly since coming in.

I know i get probably 50% of calls from clients pre 9am and post 5pm and on weekends. Its just the nature of the modern consumer (some office people with work can't really make calls about their loans during the day)

Cheers,
Redom

 

Working in your own business is different - for an employee, I do agree with the above to a point.
But you still have to get your work done! If you leave 'on time' but don't complete the tasks, you'll find yourself without a job.

 

I agree with some of his stuff and disagree with other bits, but what I strongly disagree with is his haircut.

 

Same at my end.

I might stop sitting in front of my computer at 5.30 but I will be on the phone until 7,30 or so because clients appreciate the flexibility. I do a 10 k walk/jog most afternoons at 6 and I'm often on the phone doing that (after explaining that the heavy breathing is not creepy).

I run my business different to others. The main client facing role is me and my business partner. Other employees are project focussed and I know how long these projects should take. If someone wants to go to the beach at 10am but work after dinner, go for it. As long as the project is delivered in the agreed timeframe it is your prerogative when you work. You've got a week to do it, you get paid for a wage for the week. You don't need to be sitting behind a desk for 8 hours a day secretly checking out seek and facebook. You can do it from home, or a cafe. After hours. Before hours. Office hours. It just needs to be done.

And you know what? It works well. Productivity has improved. Profit has improved. No timesheets except for hourly rate jobs works. If there is downtime they are actually looking for new work to bring in because we respect them enough to give them the flexibility to have a life.

 

You sound like an excellent boss Andrew!

 

I would only follow Dr Kalam's advice if I wasn't interested to excel in life. Just my opinion.

 

Funnily enough you treat people like they have value and they in turn respect what you are trying to do.

It's a 2 way street. I've worked for people who think staff owe them a favour for allowing them to enter into the office. I've worked for people who think a workplace should be flexible and that clock punching doesn't actually achieve anything. I know which one I was more productive in as a member of staff.

 

This is exactly my philosophy too. Unfortunately my employers (the NSW State Government) don't quite share the same viewpoint yet...

 

I think the 9-5 thing is changing and the way to cope is flexibility. For my guys, once they hit associate level (conveyancing aside) we have a zero face time policy. Not the apple app, the traditional facetime as in you need to show your face in here early and stay late if you want to get ahead. Ours means you can work from here, home, a cafe, at 1am etc etc. Same as Andrew above, as long as you get your work done and look after your clients the when and where is up to you. Conveyancing division is different, they need to be here all the time because of the constant communication and interaction required.

 

It all seems to be written from an employee orientated perspective.
Many people on this site are very entrepreneurial, so this just doesn't apply to those.
9 2 5 is very routine, and, boring.
When you're entrepreneurial, there are no fixed schedules, you do what you do.

 

This applies more to salary earners not self employed.

In my 9-5 I try to apply this.
If you think "I can stay back and finish this" you tend to blow out jobs. By committing to 9-5 you are setting deadlines and thus find you get more work done overall.

 

I set myself a realistic list of things to achieve during the day (my job is somewhat routine based). I try to write this down at the end of each day for the following day.

I try to leave on time everyday but use the list as a way of judging my performance during the day and for justifying (to myself) why leaving on time is reasonable.

I know people who stay late just to create the perception they are hard working. The boss leaves and the 'hard worker' walks out the door a minute later.

 

I agree with the original post. Work effectively and efficiently, then go home and enjoy having a life outside of work. It even applies if you work for yourself and from home.

Now I have to figure this out for myself.

 

I try to, but taking on 5 weeks worth of work without realising we are only 2.5 weeks away from christmas shutdown kind of stuffs up that idea

 

Just read it again, point 5 is absolute rubbish.

Did not know he was the former President of India, impressive.
However, check out some of his quotes which contradict point 5:
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Quotes at BrainyQuote

Never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place - that is, the unique you.
Have an aim in life, continuously acquire knowledge, work hard, and have perseverance to realise the great life.

Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow.

To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal.