How to score a flexible work arrangement

How to score a flexible work arrangementHow to score a flexible work arrangementDo you ever fantasize about having mora flexibility in your workday? And what about those occasions when you actually ask for some added flexibility at work do you feel guilty about using it?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreOne of the greatest joys of being a negotiation trainer is witnessing countless professionals get up the courage to negotiate for jobs that better fit their lives. And Im not talking about leaving early one day as an exception to the rule. Im talking about rebuilding a role so that its flexible by design.Whether reducing your hours, moving to a remote or partially remote arrangement, or compressing your days,researchshows employees in flexibility programs are happier at work and less prone to burnout and psychological stress than their colleagues not in programs.Whats funny is tha t Id estimate that 80% of succeeding in these discussions happens before you ever get to the negotiation table. Does that surprise you? See, requesting a more flexible arrangement (over say a promotion or raise) tends to kick up a unique set of doubts in lots of people Why do I deserve an exception to the rule? Everyone else seems fine working full-time hours in the office isnt it a personal weakness if I cant/dont want to? Shouldnt I have a dire reason (sick loved one, medical issue) to reduce my hours? Will people think Im less ambitious or committed if I work fewer hours or spend less time at the office?Despite fears like these, those who succeed at negotiating for flex have some clear things in common. They dont make a spontaneous ask. They consider their ask from perspectives other than their own. They frame their proposals within a process. Recently, I had the chance to sit down withErin Jay at Care.comto weigh in both as a negotiating expert and as someone who negotiated pa rt-time employment myself years ago while getting my MBA.Have a read, learn the process for building your own proposal, and get ready to become more of a designer in your work life While youre at it, chime in with your success stories of what worked well with your ask.This article first appeared on Be Leaderly.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people