Last October, I started a flexible working arrangement, so I’m now approaching a year where three days a week has been my regular working pattern.
I’ve been asked many times why I took the decision to do this at this point in my career, and the short answer is that it’s all about achieving balance. I really enjoy my role and believe I still have a lot to offer to the business. However, I also wanted to focus on other personal goals. The milestone which crystallised my decision to take the leap was actually my 55th birthday.
Having been in the industry for 35 years, this marked the ideal point for me to consider how I could realign my career to focus more on the personal things that were important to me – such as seeing more of my family, travelling and fitness, while continuing to add value in a role I really enjoy and believe I still have a lot to contribute to.
This wasn’t something I decided on a whim – I had been planning it for a long time. Part of this meant creating a proposal – a business plan if you will – that said ‘this is how I see it working’. I was very fortunate that the business – which has an ethos of flexibility and support for its employees’ personal as well as professional wellbeing – was really supportive, and understood what I was trying to do.
Now, a year on, I can say it’s gone very well on a number of fronts. It has been received constructively by my team, the market and the business. I’ve had a universally positive response from everyone saying what a great idea it is. From the perspective of my team, it’s allowed others to take more of a front-and-centre role, allowing me to change the structure of my team and enabling others to take on more responsibility and progress their careers. And I’ve also recruited new people into my leadership team, with one eye on the future and succession planning.
The feedback I’ve had also suggests my move has sent out very positive signals – both internally and externally – that a director can move to part-time working and still
successfully balance work and life. People’s comments have brought home to me the fact that this is still viewed as a little unusual for someone at my level and at this stage of a career – especially a man.
However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing – there have been many considerations I’ve had to work through. For example, ensuring my team continue to have the support they need while delegating, and providing them with the autonomy as well as the mandate to make decisions on my behalf when I’m not there.
Empowering my senior team to represent me when I’m not available has been really important – and is also crucial for the business. It also ensures I’m not dipping in and out (of emails for example) on the days I’m not in, unless absolutely critical, which is something I’ve learned it’s important to be very disciplined about. Keeping work and home life separate is very important to me. I’ve always had a different work and personal mobile, for example, ensuring those boundaries are maintained so that I can give my best to both.
My new working pattern appears to be working well for everyone – and is a win-win all round. However, as with most things, there are always downsides to consider for anyone planning such a step – for example, absorbing the financial impact of moving to three days and freeing up parts of my role so that I wasn’t trying to cram five days of work into three days. However, my objective was clear, I’d weighed it up very carefully and this therefore meant that the adjustment was more than worth it. It has given me more time to spend with my family – my grandson, my daughter, my wife and my ageing parents, which is priceless – as well as having the time to do more for me.
The bottom line is that part-time working can be a great success – for everyone involved, benefitting yourself, those around you, colleagues and the business, so long as it’s implemented in the right way. It’s allowed me to stay motivated and fulfilled in my role as well as my life, and I’m so grateful it’s been possible.
Jeremy Duncombe is managing director of Accord Mortgages
