Tips for "Smart Working Moms"

An article on MSN's lifestyle website provides some advice to "Smart Working Moms" which gives tips on how to still appear committed to your job even if you are working a flexible schedule. While I agree that it is important to make some strategic moves to ensure a flexible work arrangement is succesful, I am not sure I agree with all of the advice that the author Lee Lusardi Connor recommends (see article here).

I agree with some recommendations such as making sure that your co-workers and clients know your schedule, keeping your outgoing voicemail current, keeping your boss aware of your accomplishmnets, and making sure that you are flexible with your company too by altering your schedule when you need to in order to meet an important deadline.

But, I don't agree with some of the advice that includes strategies that try to convince your co-workers that you are working a regular schedule. Connor recommends some things such as working late a couple of nights a week so you don't get a reputation as someone who "has to leave," leaving your office lights and computer on when you leave for the day to make people think you are still there, and taking a longer lunch to run errands because no one is paying attention to your return from lunch (as opposed to leaving on time or early because people are looking).

While these clever strategies may be effective to fool others into thinking you are working more than you are, they do little to advance the acceptance of those working in flexible schedules. Instead, they help reinforce the idea that "face time" is what is necessary to be successful in the workplace.

The best thing you can do to ensure success in a flexible work arrangement is to make sure that you get your work done! By being productive and turning out exceptional quality work, you can convince your boss and your company that your flexible schedule is the right move.