My boss is a workaholic who keeps ungodly long hours and seems to believe everyone working for him should, too. I'm a driven, ambitious professional, but I also need some time to have a life. How can I please my boss without driving myself into the ground?
It's hard to work for a workaholic, but in most instances it's better to work for someone who has a sense of responsibility and cares about his business, than to work for someone who's irresponsible and doesn't care.
That said, you can act to help resolve the situation. First, ask for a formal appointment during evening hours or on a Saturday when he'll be less likely to feel he's wasting precious work time. The timing is crucial, as you'll want him to be open and receptive to your comments.
Begin by assuring him that you like working with him. Explain you share the same work ethic and goals, but that you have a different attitude on how to achieve them. Explain that for you to be most productive and efficient, you prefer strong constraints in terms of a work schedule. Tell him that by working from __ to __ (fill in with realistic hours the schedule you want to work -- perhaps 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), you can enhance your productivity. You may want to read John L Holland’s book, "The Self Directed Search" (Psychological Assessment Resources, 1994), to better be able to explain how your work style and his are different. Mr. Holland lists six different work styles and outlines how a person functions (strong and weak areas, qualities and characteristics) in each. You probably fall in the "conventional" category. For professionals to be their most efficient, it's important to honor their work style and provide ways to encourage it rather than ignore it. Finally, tell him that once a month (on an agreed-upon schedule) you'll be willing and happy to work overtime. This will show him your willingness to be flexible and meet his need for longer than usual hours.