Flexible Work
Arrangements: Two Big Mistakes to Avoid
Let's face it. Approaching your manager to request a
flexible work arrangement can be nerve-wracking,
especially if you lack a well-defined plan.
The following two big mistakes are rejection traps on your path
to getting the work schedule you want. Take the steps to
avoid them.
Mistake #1: “Winging
it.”
I read somewhere that “impulsiveness is the mother of
regret.” Isn't that a great line?
So, even though you need more time and balance now
because you're...
• tired of the hectic juggling of work and personal
needs,
• tired of weekends filled only with chores and errands,
• and just plain tired!
...don't let your sense of urgency lead you into the
proposal rejection trap.
Even reasonable managers can get irrational when it
comes to non-traditional work schedules.
First, you risk an outright dismissal of the idea.
Or, you might get an initial off-the-cuff, favorable
response. Then, days later, your manager might dismiss the
idea as unworkable. She may get second thoughts, or
after suggesting the idea to her boss, be
overruled.
Either way, the opportunity to present and negotiate
your case has just slipped away like sand through your
fingers!
How to Avoid Mistake
#1
Set an appointment with your manager to present and discuss
your proposal. And, be as prepared as you would be for
an important job interview or business presentation.
Mistake #2: No Written
Proposal.
Whether you research and write your own, or go the
proven, time-saving route with the
Flex
Success Proposal Template, a written proposal is critical
to getting approval of your request.
Without a well-organized document, you sap the muscle
out of your flexible work request strategy. Here's how:
• Having no proposal document deflates the seriousness
of your request and the strength of your desire.
Sure, your manager claims to be rational, but the truth is,
even the most objective managers weigh decisions on some
emotional level.
Thorough preparation in the form of a first-rate
proposal reflects intensity of purpose and desire.
These are very persuasive elements.
Translation: a YES is more likely.
• Having no proposal document leaves your
manager with
doubts about ill-defined issues.
When faced with
a non-traditional work schedule request, a
hard-to-acknowledge fear of losing control has many
managers reacting with a knee-jerk refusal.
Your written proposal provides concrete comfort to
help relieve your manager's doubts and fears, and it
makes rejection of the request more difficult to argue
down. The structure and
contents of Flex Success
are a major strength in this regard.
• Having no proposal document leaves your
manager
ill-equipped when answering questions from superiors if
higher-level approval is needed.
Yet, if you equip your
manager with a ready reference and
specific replies to likely questions, she's more likely
to press your case.
How to Avoid Mistake
#2
Whether you prepare your own or
use the
Flex Success Proposal Template, DO prepare a written proposal
for your manager's reference.
Detail all the major issues that will put him or her
at ease enough to agree with your plan.
Written? Yes! A document spelling out all the details
wins the boss over.
And a solid plan allows you to confidently negotiate
for what you want.
If you prefer the short-cut route to developing a convincing
proposal, get
Flex Success, my
proposal template and planning guide, now in its 13th
year of helping career professionals successfully get
the flexible work arrangement they want.
You can find more details about this PDF workbook,
available for instant download, by
clicking
here.
A Flexible Work
Arrangement and Work-Life Balance Can Be a Reality
Sooner Than You Think
“My [Flex Success] proposal... was completed, accepted
and approved within two weeks...I thank you and so do my
husband and my 3 children.”
Caren Helms, Staff
Engineer, Underwriters Laboratories,
Raleigh, NC
|
