Having a workaholic boss often means working long hours and sacrificing personal time to meet all the demands. Forget about having any work-life balance — for workaholics, work is life. You can’t change your boss,  but you can take steps to deal with the demands:

  1. Avoid notorious workplaces. Do your research to find an organization in line with your views of work-life balance.
  2. Set your own boundaries… Don’t be afraid to share your work philosophy with your boss to help establish boundaries.
  3. … and stick to them. If you decide to go in over a weekend to finish up a project, make sure your boss knows this is an exception, not an expectation.
  4. Acknowledge, then negotiate. If a deadline is too tight acknowledge the request and then work to find a compromise.
  5. Find the right balance. If weekend work is unavoidable, make it part of your schedule so it doesn’t disrupt your personal and family time too much.
  6. Show your sacrifice. If you have to skip out on family or personal time for work, let your boss know and work to find a compromise that won’t interrupt your life.

The key is to coexist with your boss. You can’t change their approach to work, but you can manage your expectations to ensure a successful collaboration.

“Most people chase success at work, thinking that will make them happy. The truth is that happiness at work will make you successful.” – Alexander Kjerulf

Adapted from CNN Business.