Discovering the Power of Wellbeing: a fictional story, real inspirations.

I open my laptop, and there are several emails from clients and colleagues. I read them and ask myself, "Why do I need to know this? Why was I cc'd by J.?". It gets even more interesting because there are more and more people in the cc field. But I have to read all them. Oh, finally something for me. Something to work on.

And a few more messages in the spam folder. But I have to check, just in case something important slipped in. No, not this time. And that's good.

I wonder how many completely unnecessary emails managers receive. I think I'm starting to feel sorry for them.

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I start doing something else, something important for me and clients, when a colleague from marketing sends a question on Teams: "What font do you want to use in the congratulatory card for W.?"

“Funny”, I think to myself, and I watch the discussion unfold in amazement. I can't turn off the notifications. And suddenly! What a surprise! The leader sends an invitation for a meeting to determine the font. Attendance, of course, is mandatory. Duration: one hour. Yeah... sure... from experience, I know I have to block another hour for it. Nothing else to do but reschedule the meeting with the client. It'll be fun trying to find a new date.?

I look at the clock, and sweat breaks out on my forehead. I have a meeting with my manager in a moment. She/he is nice, and I can count on him in difficult situations. I'm just curious what unexpected issues will arise. Because they surely will! Just like last week: is it better to write an email in bullet points or prose?; should we use PowerPoint or Prezi for the presentation?; should we serve cookies or sandwiches during the training?

Oh yes, this week we'll spend half of our time discussing vacations in the Dominican Republic.

How wonderful it would be if these meetings were less frequent and shorter. And if they didn't assign me tasks that someone else should do, like the receptionist. I daydream.?

Oh, what a surprise! It's been a while since I received 40 emails within an hour. What's on fire? Oh, no... It's just excitement over something super proactive and necessary. What is it? An invitation to a two-hour training session on well-being. Noooooo...!!!!

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Dear colleagues and managers! Do you know what would allow me to better manage my work, enjoy my personal life, and maintain my mental well-being?

1. Consider whether you need to cc me on every email. Communication is important, and it's good to keep others informed about this or that. But it's enough if you let me know in chat: "I'm talking to R. about issue X. I'll let you know what comes out of it."
2. No, you don't have to schedule a meeting to answer the most trivial question. Consultations are important, but for important matters.
3. No, I don't have to be present at every meeting. Give me a choice. If I can and find the topic important, I'll gladly join.
4. Are you organizing a meeting? Prepare and send an agenda, or at least specify the topic. Moderate the meeting. This way, a meeting scheduled for 30 minutes will last 25 minutes! Or even less.
5. You know that a topic can and should be discussed in 30 minutes? Don't schedule a 60-minute meeting! Because the discussion will only last that long, decisions will become vague, and participants will feel like they wasted their time.
6. Manager, I am a responsible and reliable employee. I know you should be aware of my progress. Furthermore, I want to tell you about them and discuss important issues. However, I don't want to talk about trivial matters that are not part of my responsibilities and have little impact on the outcome of my work. It frustrates me and wastes both my time and yours.

Dear colleagues, esteemed manager, do you know how much time you will save for me? Sometimes 3, sometimes 5, and even 7 hours per week. That's a lot! I would gladly spend this time with myself, friends, or family, nurturing relationships.

I will no longer be frustrated by not having control over my calendar, spending time on unnecessary meetings and discussions. Furthermore, I will no longer have the feeling that time is slipping through my fingers and that I'm not efficient enough. And if I stop being frustrated, I will be more satisfied and engaged.

And that's the kind of well-being I want!

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The described story is a fiction: it's a mix of experiences from my candidates, colleagues, and friends, as well as my own experiences from the past.

The reflections and expectations, however, are real.

And as a recruiter, I'll give you another piece of advice: managers, don't expect good work organization skills from a candidate if your organization tolerates excessive emails and meetings that involve employees in tasks that are not their own.