Sitting Late v Working Late - Rejoinder

Working late and Sitting late - it differs, like Office Hours & Working Hours. People say that I spend 15-20 hours a day in office, but effectively they would have worked/spent 6-7 hours. If you have work and sit late (having not able to complete in the regular office timing) to complete your tasks, it is fine. But you need to be conscious that you were putting all your efforts towards your tasks during your normal office timing. These sort of situations will be occasional. If it is regular, then there is a problem. My father is my mentor on time management. I need not look for any book, if I follow him.

My father (retired now) used to ask me, what holds me in coming back home after the office timing. I tell him I had work and need to stay back. I am into the accounting department and it is a contagious habit. But looking back, I don't understand why I was spending that much time. At times, I take too much on my plate and try to complete it or one of the excuses, mentioned in my earlier blog.

When my father met my CEO (of my earlier company), he asked him why you all sit late. For which he said, I leave the office on time and these youngsters stay back for completing the work.

My father too worked in Finance & Accounts and was head of Accounts in a Danish company. He used to say - If the department head see anyone sitting regularly late in office, he need to explain why he is sitting late - only 2 options (1) Given excess work or (2) he is inefficient. So the culture was set in that organization.
But now, it is rare to find such managers. When I worked in UK, my manager used to chase me out, when I wait for my colleague to finish his work, thinking that he may require my assistance. But what my manager told me made me to think - He said, he has work and could not finish in 8 hours, so he is sitting. If he needs your help, he should have told you before and not after the office hours. By 5.00pm, all will start leaving the office, either to meet their girl/boy friends or to play some games or for beers.
Here in India, that culture (I mean effectively work during the 8 hours) has to pick up and am sure will come soon.

Another question from my father, which I am not able to answer is - With all gadgets, Software why you all take more time to complete the job, when the same volume of work was there in his time used to get finished on time. In earlier days, they did not have ISD,Chat, Mobile, Computer, Softwares (like Tally), scanner, etc., but managed to complete their job but with all these things, we are unable to complete the job on time.

All boils down to one thing - We don't plan well, our tasks.

If we plan to leave office by 5.00pm, we can. But are we doing it? No. If we have to catch a flight by 8am, we get up by 5am and reach the airport atleast by 7.30am. Why? Otherwise we will miss the flight. So, it is driven by the individual mindset and planning. My father still plans well and carry out his plans very well. He never missed out any deadline and worst part is he reminds me periodically of my deadlines!

Friends,

• Plan well your tasks, give priority to important tasks .
• Get out of the habit of staying back at office, if you don't have work.
• Do a root cause analysis on what made you to sit late?
• Never encourage your juniors to sit late, monitor their work
• Come home, teach your child whatever you can in their subjects
• Of all, teach them the importance of time, so that they don't spend much time in office.
  

If you want to know how much you spent late at office without spending time with your family, just deposit Rs.25 for every hour you stay after normal office hours to a bank account. You will know after 10 years how much you missed your family by looking at your bank account!

Time is valuable and spend it wisely and usefully.

Cheers,
Gopal