rut
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 at 07:11PM I’m in a rut. I planned on writing yesterday, but of course, by the time I got home, played with “little piglet”, and ate dinner, I was ready for bed. My rut isn’t about being tired or being a mother. That mothering part really doesn’t make me that tired. I’m in a professional rut. I read an article the other day that makes my rut feel even worse –especially in such a terrible economic climate.
According to the May 25th edition of Time magazine, we’re all in for a big change in how we will “work” in the future. From what I read, the future is now. I was in line at the grocery store when I looked up and saw the cover. In a few short sentences, I found out that I can look forward to complete “free agency,” NO benefits, and a corporate lattice rather than a ladder. The lattice was the most appealing part of the article.
As we all know, more and more companies outsource work overseas. In the near future, all employees will become contract workers. Gone will be the days of the traditional 40-hour work week, full-time employee. We’ll all be working for ourselves as freelancers. With this shift comes the elimination of a perk that keeps most individuals I know in the corporate world: benefits. That’s right. We’ll be fending for ourselves. I wouldn’t really care about this if I didn’t have a child. That scares me. But after living out here for two years and seeing the amount of freelance workers, I know how to get health insurance if necessary.
The most intriguing prospect of the “new” workplace is the elimination of the corporate ladder. We’ll have a corporate lattice. We will have the ability to move laterally, up, down, and sideways, depending on how we can best fit working into our lives. This means more flexible working schedules, complete telecommuting, or to quote the article, “dialing down,” to work less hours at a little less pay to spend time with family. Employers actually like this idea. It allows them to lower an employee’s pay, pay out less money in benefits, and keep valuable employees. It seems the new generation of 18-34 year-olds have new priorities and they now rule the roost in getting employers to listen. I like their priorities. They value their personal and family time as important. They don’t wish to climb up some ladder at the expense of their sanity.
It made me think about how I value work and personal life. –and then I remembered doing both a while ago…working at a non-profit organization. At that point, the memories came flooding back. I was completely happy and satisfied working for a little less pay to work for a cause I believed in. At the end of the day, I turned off my computer, went home, and had the energy and the excitement to invest in personal hobbies, family time, and anything else I wanted to do. I can recall dozens of times where I went home with a great story from the work day about how I made someone happy or made a difference in someone’s life. I was in the business of cultivating friendships. –and it felt VERY good. My little office of 35 employees was a joy to visit each day. They were/are good people, creating a positive atmosphere, and doing good work.
I remember when a new employee would come in from the corporate world. I knew they were probably taking a pay cut. Their usual response would be something along the lines of “I’ve worked too long in the corporate world. I NEED this change.” Their faces would slowly morph from sad and stoic to happy and relaxed. No wonder I worked there for eight years.
Now, I have a child. When I come home after work these days, my only stories consist of complaints from the day, feeling tired even though I sit all day, and experiencing an overall sense of dread. I realize this is a terrible economic time. I’m not just going to up and quit with no other option. I wouldn’t do that. I have responsibilities. But it does make me rethink how my own personal goals and values should try to align with the work I do. It makes me believe that when they do NOT align with each other, it throws everything out of balance.
