Longwoods Blog
by James Harter – Harvard Business Review Blog
Like many of you, I often work outside of regular office hours while at home, in the airport, and sometimes on vacation. Mobile technology has created a “new normal” work life for a lot of us: Gallup’s research reveals that nearly all full-time U.S. workers (96%) have access to a computer, smartphone, or tablet, with 86% using a smartphone or tablet or both. And a full two-thirds of Americans report that the amount of work they do outside normal working hours has increased “a little” to “a lot” because of mobile technology advances over the last decade.
But is this a net gain or net drain on our well-being? And how should leaders manage this after-hours work?
To answer these questions, it’s important to understand why we turn to mobile technology in the first place. For many people, it’s because we’re excited to share an idea with a colleague, or want to finish a task so it doesn’t become a burden the next day. Yes, taking care of work during non-work time may hurt our relationships with family and friends — but still, more than three-quarters of full-time workers tell Gallup that the ability to use mobile technology outside normal working hours is a somewhat to very positive development.
This entry was posted on Monday, August 11th, 2014 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Publisher's Page.