Workaholic for a boss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My old boss had obvious ADHD. She was always all over the place and everyone talked about it. You’d be in her office for a meeting and she’d be scrolling the internet looking at shoes or something. Then around 6:00, she’d get stressed (likely because she didn’t get anything done all day) and starts calling everyone on the team asking for things. Everyone got extremely frustrated by the fact that they worked all day and she didn’t seem to really start working until everyone else was ready to sign off. I worked for her for a year and a half before I found a new job. My new boss gives me 100% attention in meetings and at the end of the day is always telling us to sign off, whatever we’re working on can wait.

100% this is my work style, not by choice. But I also like not being a jerk. It is possible to manage yourself and team. The first couple years working, I would have to repeat to myself that saying "Poor planning on your part does not necessitate an emergency on mine." Now, it's ingrained in me. I only procrastinate on things that don't impact others.

[Anonymous]

Outlook has this amazing feature where you can schedule emails to go out at specific times. Sending emails on the weekends and late at night puts unnecessary pressure on people

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve worked inside companies where basically the Whole Company worked like this. Part of it was because we were multinational - so you were always waking up to a slew of emails from Europe and going to bed with a slew of emails coming in from Asia. All I can say it set your boundaries. Even inside that company men and women alike were like - as for me, I am not responding between 5:30 and 8:00 because that is family time. I will scab for an emergency before 9:00 and then everything waits until the next day. Just because your boss works like that doesn’t mean you have to. And even if pressed like ‘did you see my email last night?’ The answer is ‘no I did not but I’ll look at it first thing this morning.’ Like stop being an anxious fool about working, define your boundaries, reiterate them time and again, and you’ll be fine.

Sounds like a penny wise and pound foolish approach. My last job I started since everyone was a workaholic I stopped sending or responding to emails between 730 am to 1230pm, I would send out emails or respond at lunchtime beween 1230 pm and 130 pm. Then I send a slew of emails around 600 pm. Then I do family time, and my wife and kids go to bed before me as I dont sleep much and around 11 pm I send out a slew of emails between 11 pm and midnight. First thing in morning before I shower or get dressed or kids got up around 630 am I also send out my requests.

I was only working a 7 hour day. My favorite was bathroom ones. I got up to go to bathroom in middle of night and check email and reply. This one lady from Australia at 315 am pinged me for a google hangout and I just threw on my hoodie and did the 30 minute meeting. At end she was like aren't you in Wash DC, I go yea I am but no worries 24/7 I am good to go.

She told everyone how much a workhorse I am.

[Anonymous]

Once you respond to that email on the weekend or at 10 PM the first time, the sender will know (or believe) that you're getting subsequent ones and not responding.

Just don't ever respond on weekends or after 7 PM or so, and no one will ever expect you to.

Not applicable for all situations, of course.