Rejuvenated after her holiday, she strolled into her office to find all of her belongings packed in boxes. There are two sides to every story, and there may be more to Linda's situation than meets the eye. But ask executives what they fear most these days and right at the top is the fear of being left out of the loop and getting canned for appearing less than dedicated. A year ago greed drove the new economy. Today fear permeates every level of the organizational chart.
Executives are afraid of being laid off, fired or pushed off track for advancement.
Executives who have survived a work-life crisis offer a few ways to navigate the political land mines ahead and keep your job, health and dignity intact. Whatever you do, don't hide a crisis or make it appear less important than it is. This lesson almost cost Ellen Shuck her life. The senior consultant with Silicon Valley-based Hagberg Consulting Group came close to death while working with clients in Singapore two years ago. But instead of letting her boss and colleagues know she needed immediate medical treatment and time off from working with her client, she insisted on continuing to consult from a quarantined ward of her hotel via teleconferencing.