Women in Pharmaceutical Sciences (WIPS) Community

I love this topic, Sneha! 

Here are the main ways I stay sane and have boundaries - take what speaks to you, leave what does not:

• I am not a fan of the "available 24/7" mentality. I have set working hours and block off focus times on a weekly basis. I try to keep the most popular times open to make sure this is not getting in the way of effective meetings. Of course, sometimes I receive invitations outside my availability and may have to say yes, but it definitely reduces the number of instances.
• I also make a point of requiring a reason for a call, especially when they are out of the blue (Management calls exception of course...). This practice keeps me calmer and creates less stress around the feared Teams call sound.
• As someone who is able to WFH full time, it's hard to stay motivated and easy to beat myself up over being unproductive. What works best for me is to take a breather - walk, stretch, snack, etc. - to create a mental break. This is not a novel tip by any means, but what is important is building your habits at work around what is best for you specifically.
• For creating those boundaries, the best approach I have found is being matter-of-fact about your expectations. If you speak about them as if they are concrete, they will be more likely seen as concrete. It is often as simple as perception.

I'd love to hear any tips for how you all internally position external involvement as a company benefit! This is an area where I struggle and would love any feedback.

I love this topic, Sneha! 

Here are the main ways I stay sane and have boundaries - take what speaks to you, leave what does not:

• I am not a fan of the "available 24/7" mentality. I have set working hours and block off focus times on a weekly basis. I try to keep the most popular times open to make sure this is not getting in the way of effective meetings. Of course, sometimes I receive invitations outside my availability and may have to say yes, but it definitely reduces the number of instances.
• I also make a point of requiring a reason for a call, especially when they are out of the blue (Management calls exception of course...). This practice keeps me calmer and creates less stress around the feared Teams call sound.
• As someone who is able to WFH full time, it's hard to stay motivated and easy to beat myself up over being unproductive. What works best for me is to take a breather - walk, stretch, snack, etc. - to create a mental break. This is not a novel tip by any means, but what is important is building your habits at work around what is best for you specifically.
• For creating those boundaries, the best approach I have found is being matter-of-fact about your expectations. If you speak about them as if they are concrete, they will be more likely seen as concrete. It is often as simple as perception.

I'd love to hear any tips for how you all internally position external involvement as a company benefit! This is an area where I struggle and would love any feedback.

A non-negotiable for my mental health and work/life balance is that I get in a workout every workday. On days I attend evening gym classes, it ensures that I quit work on time to get there on time. The benefits are numerous: less stress, better mood and focus and healthier all over. 

Another non-negotiable for me is that I use my vacation days. Having time to recharge my batteries is essential. 

Looking forward to hearing more from the group!

I love this topic, Sneha! 

Here are the main ways I stay sane and have boundaries - take what speaks to you, leave what does not:

• I am not a fan of the "available 24/7" mentality. I have set working hours and block off focus times on a weekly basis. I try to keep the most popular times open to make sure this is not getting in the way of effective meetings. Of course, sometimes I receive invitations outside my availability and may have to say yes, but it definitely reduces the number of instances.
• I also make a point of requiring a reason for a call, especially when they are out of the blue (Management calls exception of course...). This practice keeps me calmer and creates less stress around the feared Teams call sound.
• As someone who is able to WFH full time, it's hard to stay motivated and easy to beat myself up over being unproductive. What works best for me is to take a breather - walk, stretch, snack, etc. - to create a mental break. This is not a novel tip by any means, but what is important is building your habits at work around what is best for you specifically.
• For creating those boundaries, the best approach I have found is being matter-of-fact about your expectations. If you speak about them as if they are concrete, they will be more likely seen as concrete. It is often as simple as perception.

I'd love to hear any tips for how you all internally position external involvement as a company benefit! This is an area where I struggle and would love any feedback.

To be honest, the transition to consulting has been amazing for me in this regard. Other than scheduled meetings with clients, I manage my daily schedule around how I am feeling that day, taking breaks whenever I need them and doing the work when I feel energized to take it on. 

So instead I am giving the examples from my prior full-time jobs. 

1. I did set a hard cut off for expecting replies or scheduling meetings. This was also to give my brain time to slow down and go to sleep. When I took trains, it was extra convenient because if I was in a meeting running long, "I need to sign off to go catch the train.". Now I use a more generic "I have a hard stop at X." and then I leave the meeting on time. You do not have to say what your hard stop is and I have not had this questioned.
2. A key contingency to help people feel comfortable with the "not available" stance outside work hours and while on vacation. I did provide my personal cell phone number to key people including program leads for emergencies. The "rule" was that it had to be only me who could deal with it and waiting until business hours (or return from vacation) was too late. People could text me and tell me to check my email, no confidential information to be shared. I have done this for over 15 years, and literally never had someone abuse it. 
3. I had a signature line taken from another leader during COVID; "I am sending this email at a time that is convenient for me, please feel free to reply at a time that is convenient for you." This was HUGE for a global organization where we had collaborators in probably every time zone. Everybody needs sleep, nobody can work 24/7. Started during COVID pandemic when nobody had a normal schedule but I keep it as a clear indicator that just as I work on a schedule convenient to me, I anticipate that others are doing the same. I haven't done this yet in my current job because our expectation is reply within 24 hours, so haven't needed it.

Great topic, love seeing people's general and specific tips.
------------------------------
Joleen White Ph.D.
Bioanalytical 101 Course Development
Senior Advisor
BioData Solutions LLC
[email protected]

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.
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To be honest, the transition to consulting has been amazing for me in this regard. Other than scheduled meetings with clients, I manage my daily schedule around how I am feeling that day, taking breaks whenever I need them and doing the work when I feel energized to take it on. 

So instead I am giving the examples from my prior full-time jobs. 

1. I did set a hard cut off for expecting replies or scheduling meetings. This was also to give my brain time to slow down and go to sleep. When I took trains, it was extra convenient because if I was in a meeting running long, "I need to sign off to go catch the train.". Now I use a more generic "I have a hard stop at X." and then I leave the meeting on time. You do not have to say what your hard stop is and I have not had this questioned.
2. A key contingency to help people feel comfortable with the "not available" stance outside work hours and while on vacation. I did provide my personal cell phone number to key people including program leads for emergencies. The "rule" was that it had to be only me who could deal with it and waiting until business hours (or return from vacation) was too late. People could text me and tell me to check my email, no confidential information to be shared. I have done this for over 15 years, and literally never had someone abuse it. 
3. I had a signature line taken from another leader during COVID; "I am sending this email at a time that is convenient for me, please feel free to reply at a time that is convenient for you." This was HUGE for a global organization where we had collaborators in probably every time zone. Everybody needs sleep, nobody can work 24/7. Started during COVID pandemic when nobody had a normal schedule but I keep it as a clear indicator that just as I work on a schedule convenient to me, I anticipate that others are doing the same. I haven't done this yet in my current job because our expectation is reply within 24 hours, so haven't needed it.

Great topic, love seeing people's general and specific tips.
------------------------------
Joleen White Ph.D.
Bioanalytical 101 Course Development
Senior Advisor
BioData Solutions LLC
[email protected]

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.
------------------------------