Stuck Potential

At a time when the likes of MS are experimenting with the four day work-week for productivity gains, it was interesting to read this article about the benefits of eight hour weeks. The high-potentials who need a culture of overwork to signal their value can be ill-served by their own proclivities. This is particularly true if that high-potential happens to be a woman. As the boundaries between business and personal life dissolve and she is available round the clock proving her value, her male peers will use her work to further their own careers. They may or may not have a better work-life balance than she does but they will likely benefit more from the overwork than the woman. That has been my observation over the years. 

This reminds me of my friend K who in her late twenties seem to have it all. Was married to her high-school sweetheart, had a charming home in the burbs, no kids quite yet so lot of weekends were spent with friends on their boat. Their house overlooked a large lake. Back at work life was good too - she was considered the rising star and every struggling project found its way to her. She could be counted on to turn things around. We went our separate ways and met again a decade and a half later.

 K was exactly in the same role as she had been then. Every guy we knew from back in the day had been promoted many times over, many had moved on to other bigger and better jobs. She was the rock-star that launched many a career except her own. Her value was not lost on anyone and yet it did precious little for her. She never got around to having kids, the marriage was tested over the years and they were barely hanging in there - she was still working those eighty hour weeks. I wished very much that one day K would decide not to give a damn anymore and focus on bringing back the magic in her marriage - I remembered the stories she would share about her and her husband T. What they had was very special and unique, a shame to squander it over proving potential and being used in the process. I gently reminded her of one such story and was glad to see her face lit up at the memory. I have not seen K in a long time and as I write this wish her and T the very best.