So our firm boasts a "Social Contract" that they say they will strive to uphold and live by in how they structure projects for consultants to have a better work-life balance. (At least they claimed this the first day you joined the firm.)
1. Exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and invest in your mental and emotional health.
HA! Rule #1 has been and always will be broken. When you're averaging leaving the office at 2AM to head home (and having to pull yourself out of bed in the morning to get your ass to the office by 8:30am), there is no time for exercise. Let's just forget exercising altogether as I'm usually just dying for more sleep! Mental and emotional health - what the heck is that when you have no time to think about it, to invest in it, to keep yourself sane?? I'm so exhausted by the time all the "working hours" are over that all I want to do is catch up on sleep on the weekends... I "mentally" and "emotionally" turn into a zombie at that point wondering if my body is still alive... oh, is my heart still beating? Are you sure???
2. Be out of town for no more than four days a week.
Double HA! All of my out-of-town projects have made me fly out Sunday night and fly back Friday night. So I have to squeeze me-and-husband time to less than 2 full days a week. :-( We are a weekend couple. It really is depressing...
3. Work around 65 hours per week (including weekends and out-of-town travel).
Uhhhh.... Work from 8:30am to 2am every day. Times 5 days... I think you can do the math. And that doesn't even include weekend and travel time...
4. Ensure no local internal team meetings or local conference calls after 9:00pm.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..... (I think I'm starting to lose it.)
5. Go home if your work is finished and other team members do not need help.
Oh, how I'd love to. But then you just look like the asshole of the group if you leave early while everyone is still sitting in the office slaving away...
6. Use legible handwritten charts for internal meetings.
Uhh... we don't write anything anymore. Isn't it all powerpoint + excel + word??
Friday, August 7, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Living for yourself
If you want something, you have to ask for it.
Don't make assumptions that "things will happen" and "things will fall into place." Most people have this misperception.
At my previous corporate job, I asked for opportunities. "I'm interested in learning about X!" So my manager let me do some of X. "I'm interested in Y!" And my manager let me try Y. We sat down together and charted a path to make my interests happen. I grew in my career and was happy in my own development.
Now I've stepped out of the corporate comfort zone. It's my first time working in the professional services. Like any new job there's always that initial transitional period... I was their b*tch. Letting Partners assign me to wherever they wanted me, whichever project they could dump their sh*t work on me. None of the work interested me. My usual cheery disposition turned into dark cloudy skies, lightning and thunder.
And then the epiphany: that I shouldn't be nervous around these Partners. That my best performance comes when I say, "I don't give a f*ck anymore." And I started asking for what I wanted - what interests me. I took the ball back into my court and started telling the Partners where I wanted to be. Which projects I wanted to do.
Achievement. The sun is peeking through.
Don't make assumptions that "things will happen" and "things will fall into place." Most people have this misperception.
At my previous corporate job, I asked for opportunities. "I'm interested in learning about X!" So my manager let me do some of X. "I'm interested in Y!" And my manager let me try Y. We sat down together and charted a path to make my interests happen. I grew in my career and was happy in my own development.
Now I've stepped out of the corporate comfort zone. It's my first time working in the professional services. Like any new job there's always that initial transitional period... I was their b*tch. Letting Partners assign me to wherever they wanted me, whichever project they could dump their sh*t work on me. None of the work interested me. My usual cheery disposition turned into dark cloudy skies, lightning and thunder.
And then the epiphany: that I shouldn't be nervous around these Partners. That my best performance comes when I say, "I don't give a f*ck anymore." And I started asking for what I wanted - what interests me. I took the ball back into my court and started telling the Partners where I wanted to be. Which projects I wanted to do.
Achievement. The sun is peeking through.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Drinkin' the kool-aid...
Kickin-Kiwi-Lime or Mountainberry Punch? Maybe a taste of Incrediberry or Soarin' Strawberry-Lemonade to cool off for awhile.
And then the high begins again. And you're still drinkin' the kool-aid of your company - and what you want to stand for. The company name is branded on your forehead and you walk around proud to work for company X. Flashing your name card, sharing your pride with all those you say hello to, maybe selling a product or two in between.
But when you finally kick-back at the end of the day, put your feet up on the coffee table with the quick flick of your thumb on the remote. You sigh. Maybe reflect back on the day's events - deals won and deals lost. Maybe let the tv take over your mind.
And at times you wonder again - is this really the career for me? Do I continue pushing straight ahead - or should I take a turn in the road hoping to find a better path?
You yawn - eyelids falling heavy. The glass still in your right hand with the remaining kool-aid undrunk.
And then the high begins again. And you're still drinkin' the kool-aid of your company - and what you want to stand for. The company name is branded on your forehead and you walk around proud to work for company X. Flashing your name card, sharing your pride with all those you say hello to, maybe selling a product or two in between.
But when you finally kick-back at the end of the day, put your feet up on the coffee table with the quick flick of your thumb on the remote. You sigh. Maybe reflect back on the day's events - deals won and deals lost. Maybe let the tv take over your mind.
And at times you wonder again - is this really the career for me? Do I continue pushing straight ahead - or should I take a turn in the road hoping to find a better path?
You yawn - eyelids falling heavy. The glass still in your right hand with the remaining kool-aid undrunk.
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