What do you do if your product innovation career lacks work-life balance due to an inflexible schedule?

Assessing your work-life balance is like investigating a crime scene: you're Sherlock Holmes, and your life is the mystery. Time logs, journals, SWOT analyses – it's all part of the detective work. But let's face it, you'll probably find out you spend too much time watching cat videos. Embrace the chaos, folks!

Setting boundaries and expectations is like creating a personal bubble-wrap for your sanity in the chaotic circus of work life. It's like saying, "Hey universe, I've got limits, and I'm not afraid to use them!" Think of it as a diplomatic way of telling your boss, "I love you, but I'm not your 24/7 hotline for every thought that pops into your head." And let's be real, sometimes saying no to extra tasks is the only cardio we get in a day. So, embrace the power of setting boundaries—it's the superhero cape your sanity deserves!

Managing your time and energy sounds like a great idea in theory, but in practice, it often feels like trying to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle on a tightrope over a pit of hungry alligators. Sure, you can plan, organize, and execute all you want, but life has a funny way of throwing unexpected curveballs your way, like your cat deciding it's the perfect time to stage a sit-in protest on your keyboard. And let's not forget about those peak hours they talk about. Personally, my peak hours seem to coincide perfectly with my brain's sudden urge to contemplate the meaning of life while staring blankly into space. So much for tackling those challenging tasks with razor-sharp focus!

Finding work-life balance? It's like chasing a unicorn through a maze. But fear not! Step four: Embrace your inner zen master. Make time for hobbies, sweat (not from dodging emails), socialize (yes, with humans), learn new stuff (like perfecting grilled cheese), and sprinkle in some volunteering. And when life serves lemons, make lemonade (or pie!). Keep that positive vibe, because let's face it, work is a circus. So, take a break, enjoy the show, and laugh at the clowns (not your coworkers). Cheers to finding that sweet spot between work and play! ????♀???

If you want to be a succesful product manager, you have to accept that you can't work a 9 to 5 schedule. Too many departments depend on you, too many unforseen things happen all the time and in not a lot of other departments you feel such a constant pressure. Your work life balance will be influenced by that. No way around it. Your workload will always be high. It's a beautiful job, but not an easy one. I'm just telling it as it is. And if that's not for you, then there are enough other jobs you could do instead of becoming a PM. I feel it's necessary to be transparent about that - especially for people thinking about starting a product career.

Openly discuss the lack of work-life balance with your manager in a professional and constructive manner. Prepare by outlining specific examples of how the inflexible schedule is impacting you, including its effects on productivity and well-being. Present potential solutions such as flexible working hours or remote work options, and be open to exploring mutually beneficial alternatives. Emphasize the benefits of better work-life balance for productivity and job satisfaction.

Seeking support and feedback is like adding sprinkles to your professional ice cream sundae - it just makes everything better! Think about it: when you hit a roadblock, who else can give you better directions than someone who's been down that road before? Plus, bouncing ideas off your colleagues is like playing office ping pong - except instead of a ball, you're batting around genius! And let's not forget about customer feedback; it's like having a personal cheerleading squad rooting for your success (or telling you when your product is as useful as a chocolate teapot). So, don't be a lone ranger in the wild west of innovation - round up your posse and ride the feedback trail to success! ????

Ah, the grand finale of the work-life balancing act: the review and adjustment step. It's like being the director of your own chaotic sitcom, constantly checking the ratings (aka your satisfaction level), adjusting the script (your habits), and hoping for a spin-off (that promotion you've been eyeing). Just remember, life's too short to be stuck in reruns of stress and burnout. So, grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the show as you fine-tune your work-life balance strategy. After all, it's the only series where you get to be both the star and the producer! ????

Find a new job. If you're working for a company that doesn't respect your time and your needs, that isn't going to change. Culture within an organization is a top-down mechanism. If the leadership in your org don't respect people, no amount of boundary setting or outside counsel is going to solve the problem.