Job
sharing challenges - first-person accounts
by Pat Katepoo
The following unsolicited
reports from two Flex Success
users should prove very instructive if you are considering a job sharing
proposal. Situations differ, but if you face similar challenges, you will be
better prepared than most.
...I just found out that
they approved my proposal. I honestly did not think they were going to because
of the questions and the tension I felt in the room when discussing the
proposal. I thought I would share some of the questions they asked me and how I
dealt with them:
What
are you going to do if we say no? That was a difficult one because I had
not prepared for such a direct question. I told them that I hope that that won't
be the case but if it is I will have to re-evaluate by situation and decide what
is best for me at the time.
What about travel? Are we going to have to
pay for both of you to go to a conference? Are we going to be paying one person
a full 40 hours during that week and the other 20 hours or will the other one
not work during the week that that individual is on travel?
I put this back in their court by telling them it was up to them. We could
either have double coverage if we need it or if funds were short we could work
it out so that one person comes in one week and another the other week during
that travel period.
This was a great experience and your proposal really helped me organize my
thoughts. I was able to feel more confident talking to management and explaining
my points.
Your Flex Success Program
worked for myself and my co-worker...We have been job sharing now for five
months. Our boss was totally against the idea at first, but was very impressed
by our proposal and agreed to allow us to job share.
We both are new Moms. I have a 10 month old son and she has a 6 month old son.
So we have a lot in common both on the job and at home.
I would like to add that job sharing is not as easy as it sounds. It takes a lot
of discipline to be able to record almost everything you do so that your partner
can pick up where you left off. Both partners need to be very organized.
There have been a few communication gaps where one of us didn't know what the
other had done. So, communication is very crucial as well.
We keep a To Do log and both type our comments in different colors so we know
who wrote what. That has helped a lot. It does, however, take extra time to
complete this To Do list.
Another important thing to stress for people considering job sharing is the work
strengths of both people involved. Our job share arrangement is unbalanced, but
I knew that going in to the arrangement. I tend to have more work to do and have
to pick up the slack, but since it was her job we are sharing, I'm grateful to
be able to be working part-time.
If someone weren't in my particular situation I think this unbalance of work
would cause friction in the arrangement. It is very hard not to get frustrated
at times. I hope these comments help.
Choosing
the right partner is a key element to successful long-term job sharing.
Periodic evaluations and problem-solving among the two of you (and your boss) at
early stages of the partnership are also important. Job sharing works, but it
does take work to make it so.
Pat Katepoo is the founder of WorkOptions.com and developer of the e-workbook, Flex Success Proposal Blueprint.
Click here for details.
|
