The other week, while travelling between meetings, I got a call from a BBC producer asking if I’d be interviewed on the radio about handling out of hours work emails.
We all know the feeling of being expected to respond 24/7 – it can be extremely stressful, cuts into your personal life and makes you feel like you can never switch off.
Of course I said “Yes” as I love being interviewed in the media and this is a subject close to my heart.
The catch for the interview? I had 15 minutes to prepare! (Being a BBC expert is great training for thinking on your feet).
My top 3 tips:
- Establish boundaries: set your own time limit for when you are “off duty”
- Don’t be Superman/woman: avoid being seduced by the drama of being seen to be busy rather than focussing on genuinely purposeful action
- Know your value: insist on being judged by your results not your availability.
You can listen to the 5 minute BBC interview here (MP3):