Most consultants work for 50 to 80
hours in a week. Official consulting
work hours may run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. but consultants never seem to
have enough within that 8-hour period. At
worst times, they need to work for 15 hours a day just to beat deadlines, tally
performance data or finish the brainstorming session. A management consultant’s lifestyle
is tough.
At the end of the day when everyone
seems exhausted at the office, management consultants still find enough energy
to keep going another four to six hours almost every day. If there’s one thing this crazy schedule
tells us, it’s the kind of commitment consultants offer to their job.
We can easily assume that
probably it’s the great pay that entices them to get things done, but then
again, after some thought, few people would be prepared to lay their lives for
the sake of their clients, and there are definitely not as many as there are
management consultants. Few people are capable
of committing themselves to the kind of workload management consultants live
with.
Negative effects of working long hours
Though job dedication is exemplary,
extended working schedule has negative effects on health and well-being. This was proven by Japanese high-ranking
business executives who died in the 1980′s without any previous signs of
illness. It was later found out that
they worked too much and too hard. This
phenomenon was then called, karoshi, which can be translated as “death from
overwork.” Major medical causes of karoshi deaths are heart attack and
stroke due to stress.
Aside from health, personal
relationships are also at stake. Many
say that consulting is for professionals who are single because of its
time-consuming nature. Consultants
missing gatherings, reunions and birthdays because of commitment is
commonplace. Further, they
barely find time for their hobbies and interests. Finding free time is,
unfortunately, a struggle in management consulting industry.
Dealing
with long work hours
In the consulting field, time
management skills are important. Considered as one of the critical
success factors,
this tool resolves work-life balance issues arising from a consultant’s regular
duties and responsibilities. It takes
planning to determine which tasks to prioritize and which to put aside. It takes time management to allot time for
family bonding and get-together with buddies. It takes discipline to begin and end work as
scheduled.
Consultants should also learn to take
breaks. Chatting about the latest buzz
with colleagues or stretching your arms and legs once in a while is not a waste
of time. It is a good way of relaxing
the eyes, hands and mind to maintain high productivity. Working for long straight hours causes
exhaustion and in the long run fatigue. Taking
regular breaks can prevent this from happening.
You don’t
have to suffer the effects of long hours of hard work
For many consultants, it helps to
realize that long hours of hard work are part and parcel of their chosen
career. It is not the character of a
particular client project, or of a particular cyclic phase of the year – as
might be the case with audit firms, it has nothing to do with the character of
your supervisor, your firm, or the client you are working for; it is simply the
nature of the job.
The earlier you come to this realization
the better.
Don’t take even the simple
things for granted; think about the following, which will definitely make a big
difference to your life.
i. The amount of exercise you get daily;
think of joining a good gym
ii. How much sleep you get; do all you
can to get at least seven hours’ sleep
iii. How much alcohol you take, if any
iv. How you work on your desk: how you
use your computer, the position of your wrists, neck, feet and shoulders, among
others. Guidelines on this can be
obtained from furniture and computer vendors, as well as from available
literature on modern occupational health hazards
v. Your social relationships; join a
good club where you can socialize and play a good social sport (and not online
gambling!)
vi. What you do with your leave or days
off; plan specific activities for these, otherwise work will quite easily creep
in and take centre stage
vii. Your relationship with your laptop, tablet or smart phone; not everything needs a fire station response
viii. Your family; plan to have top-quality
time with your family, at which time all else must stop!
ix. Take time to rest; a formal break in
the course of your work day; a relaxed drink in the evening; a good movie at
home or at the theatre; a round of golf, football match; or even join a theatre
group!
x. Reading may be a big part of a management consultant’s
job, but could also make pleasant relaxation or a fulfilling personal
development activity. A good read will
always leave you feeling enlightened and rejuvenated; read.