Last week I heard a lot of talk about work/family and flexibility on Twitter, an internet radio show and everywhere I turned. There are a number of companies that have great policies written down. In some of these organizations people are penalized for taking advantage of them. Each organization has its own culture. There are unwritten rules around what is expected of the employees. In a culture that encourages extreme working hours, taking advantage of these policies can have dire consequences. In a post written by Kath Lockett, the author of Work Life Balance for Dummies, she shares interviews with courageous men who made tough choices in order to spend more time with their families.
Haydn was faced with the same dilemma while working for his boss, Prince Esterhazy, one of the wealthiest nobles from the Austrian Hungarian Empire. The prince had complete authority and control over his employees. It was an autocratic environment. There were no laws to protect employees from harsh working conditions during that time. Haydn and his group of musicians (a small orchestra) were at the mercy of the prince. They had been at the prince’s summer palace for months without seeing their families who lived far away in another city. Haydn decided to use an ingenious approach to influence his boss. He wrote the Farewell Symphony and performed it for the prince. In the symphony’s last movement, each musician one by one, stoped playing his instrument, snuffed off the candle on each stand and left the stage. At the very end, there were only two musicians left (Haydn was one of them) with muted instruments finishing the music piece very quietly. The prince got the message and the next day everyone went home.
I’m impressed by Haydn’s subtle approach to influencing his boss. He was able to do this without ruffling any feathers. I’m wondering how many people with tyrannical bosses do not know how to ask for time with the family? How about the boss that gives his employee an unrealistic deadline at 4:55 PM on Friday afternoon? Or the boss that expects an employee to travel overseas for months at a time without coming home to spend time with the family?
Your Insights and Thoughts
- Does anyone have a story about a tyrannical boss who had unrealistic expectations around work/family balance?
- Would love to hear a story of courage in getting your needs met as it relates to work/family balance?
Photo Credits, Lucryso
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Very nice post. I love the way you reach back into history to tell your story and make the points you want to present. I have found that work/life balance is an equation that develops based on numerous factors, often including performance levels, trust, skill level, and careful selection of work opportunities.
There are few things that I believe are as important as overall organizational culture. One that I would put on an equal basis is the type of relationship you have with your boss. Much of your work/life balance rests there. People need to manage that relationship just as much as their personal brand, or their career development.
Nice work! Keep posting!
Mike, to your point, Haydn had a great relationship with his boss because he met and exceeded his expectations. There was a level of trust that grew over time and he knew how to manage upwards. How much weight do you think the ability to manage upward has on work/life balance?
A lot. That is exactly what I was referring to, except you described it better. People often ask how I get time to attend so many conferences while holding a regular.
Easy: (not) I work my ass off. I meet my supervisor’s expectations, and I do things to keep him ahead of the curve. In return, he works with me to accommodate my extracurricular activities, like blogging and speaking!
I’m glad you’ve created such a fantastic situation for yourself. Thanks for your contribution!