How working 80% for a year changed my life for the better

As we approach the end of 2023, I want to share with you a personal experiment that I started at the beginning of the year: working 80% for Hilti, my employer for the past 11 years. This was a bold move that I made after feeling the need to balance my professional and personal goals better. I’m happy to say that it was one of the best decisions I ever made, and I want to tell you why.

First of all, I want to thank Hilti, and especially our office leader Ximena Aldea , for immediately giving me the space to work 80%, no questions asked. Hilti is a company that truly values its people and supports them in their growth and development. Sometimes you just need to dare to ask, and you might be surprised by the positive response. ??

In terms of work, I probably worked more than 80%, due to difficulties disconnecting and adapting to the new rhythm, but still well below 100%. I also delivered fully on my objectives, so I could see how a 4-day work week could indeed be possible. How did I manage this? Well, there are two main factors:

• I was working on an entrepreneurial project, a pilot for marketplace sales, which gave me and my partners relative autonomy and flexibility to design and implement new solutions. ??
• I skipped anything non-essential, becoming more radical in my time management and saying “no” (or ignoring invites!) more often. I learned to prioritize the most important and impactful tasks, and to delegate or eliminate the rest. I also reduced the number and length of meetings, and focused on outcomes rather than output. This is not new advice, but with one day less of work a week, I had just the right incentive to implement: common sense is often not common practice... ??

By working 80%, I was able to free up one day per week, usually Fridays, for my personal projects and passions. This had a huge positive impact on my well-being and happiness. Here are some of the things that I did with my extra time:

• I took more care of myself: I lost weight, worked out more and completed my longest triathlon. I also improved my sleep quality and my mental health. I feel more energetic, fit and healthy than ever before. ??♂?
• I spent more time with my family and kids: I went on school events with my daughter and more doctor visits. I also enjoyed more quality time with my wife and our two children, playing, reading, and traveling together. I feel more connected, present and grateful for them. ??
• Most importantly, I was able to carve out time to develop my knowledge and take concrete actions in the climate crisis, becoming part of a vibrant and energizing global community in the process. This is something that I’m very passionate about, and that I believe is the most urgent and important challenge of our time. I facilitated over 25 workshops of the climate fresk , 2tonnes and the planetary boundaries fresco , reaching over 100 people online, in my city, at work and even at high schools. These are powerful tools that help people understand our climate and environmental crisis, and inspire them to take action. This was incredibly rewarding and almost impossible if I didn’t have Fridays off for this. I also now became a certified trainer of the climate fresk to multiply my impact further. ??

Finally, far from being a "career-limiting move", I got promoted after working 80% for the year and will lead our social media and marketplaces team at Hilti in 2024! This is a new and exciting opportunity that will allow me to leverage my digital skills and experience to create more value for our customers and our business. The cherry on top is that I will be able to keep my 20% time, this time driving sustainability initiatives within the strategic marketing team at Hilti. I’m super-excited about this new challenge and the positive impact that I can make. ??

My 80% bet paid off big time. I'm grateful for 2023, ready for 2024 and I learned a lot from this experiment.

TL;DR:

• Working 80% is not only possible, but also beneficial for both the individual and the organization. It allows you to focus, gives you more time and energy, which in turn makes you happier and more productive. ??
• Working 80% requires a trusting environment with high autonomy and flexibility, as well as aligned expectations on outcomes. It also requires a strong discipline and a radical prioritization, where you say “no” more often and focus on the essential. ??
• Working 80% is not for everyone, and it depends on your role, your project, your team and your personal situation. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather a personal choice that you need to make based on your own needs and preferences. If you're not sure that it's even feasible at your current employer, sometimes you just need to ask, and you might be surprised by the positive response. ??

I hope that this post inspires you to think about your own work-life integration, and to explore the possibilities of working 80% or less. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out. I would love to hear from you and exchange ideas.

#worklife #80percent #Hilti #climateaction #personaldevelopment