Letter from the CEO Greetings Momentum Subscribers,
August is often a month of vacations, of reconnecting with our friends and families, and of reflecting on hard work gone by. Those of us who can take time to stop, slow down, and think clearly about what's important are lucky indeed.
This Momentum asks the question - IS WORK-LIFE BALANCE DEAD?
Karlin Sloan
CEO
Karlin Sloan & Company
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The Business Case for Balance
by Karlin Sloan
We all know by now that human beings need to recharge and replenish their vital energy in order to optimize their thinking and their work. It doesn't matter if we're doing physical labor or running a global company, our bodies and minds collapse when they don't have adequate rest, food, water, and personal time.
Research shows that employee burnout results in substantial costs to organizations, including absenteeism, increased turnover, reduced productivity, and costly mistakes caused by exhaustion.
In 2000, the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services reported that:
- Considering all visits to the doctor, 70-80% are for stress related and stress-induced illnesses.
- The cost of job stress in the US is estimated at $200 billion annually, including costs of absenteeism, lost productivity, and insurance claims.
This fuel, in addition to thousands of other studies, is helping organizations get clear that putting their focus on managing energy and balance is imperative in order to stay productive and functional.
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Achieving Balance
by Mike Jaffe
"I've learned that the process of life - including the work, obstacles, even the hassles - is my life. Life isn't the end result - it's everything in between the beginning and the end."
- ANON
Let's begin by stating the obvious - there is no such thing as work-life balance. Although there may be some days you feel dead at work, let's be real. Work is part of your life, not a separate dimension. In fact, most of us spend more than 70% of our waking hours working in some capacity, so let's define work-life balance as simply 'balance' for short.
People often complain that their balance is out of whack. When asked to paint a picture of what balance actually looks like, they're often stumped. Is it:
· Just working less and spending more time at home?'
· Taking off Fridays in the summer?'
· Being away from work on Sundays?'
Maybe, but true balance requires a very personal definition needing reflecting on your own individual situation, core values, needs, and priorities.
In order to create and live in a way that is balanced, you need to know what it means and why it's important to you. By defining your core values, you'll have better flexibility and creativity when it comes time to determine how to create it for yourself. Sometimes the benefits of better balance seem soft until you look at the true costs for not having it.
Often, we are looking for the answer or the solution to balance. However, I've found there's no one thing that can create balance in your life for you. Rather, transitioning to better balance consists of first identifying the elements of an ideal balance by examining those things you want to add, subtract, or modify that are most important to you.
· To start, create a list of all of the things that you consider to be key elements of your ideal balance. You are trying to define 'what' you want as part of your life to create the balance you seek. Don't worry about how you're going to get there yet. Remember to keep playing in the space of 'ideal world' without limiting your ideas and exploration to only what you think is possible, safe, or acceptable. Otherwise, you'll be cheating yourself of bigger possibilities. Better to start with what's ideal and work backwards, using a pragmatic filter to figure out how you're going to create those elements.
· Give yourself permission to be as specific as possible. For example, a core element may be more time with your kids. However, that's too general. Looking deeper, it may really be a few hours of quality time with your children during the week, and that's what you want to capture.
· Once you've defined what an ideal balance would be by defining the elements, now it's time to explore ways that you can enhance your life to create that balance. Get creative and look for things you can add or subtract that will create the elements you've identified. You may have to get out of your comfort zone. In the example above, one possible solution to having more quality time with your kids is to specify one night each week where you'll come home earlier to be with them and a separate one where you'll work later to keep up with your workload. Remember, it's about making it all balance, not having one at the expense of the other.
· Make a list of options that would enhance your balance and create these elements. This is the time to brainstorm creative ideas to capture as many options and opportunities as possible. Don't qualify or judge these possibilities. Some people might call them fair. Others might deem them unrealistic. Don't judge the options, create what you want for yourself. Just like a true brainstorm, every idea is a possibility. You need to be open to ideas that may not seem possible or feasible. Create a family movie night once per month. For your spouse, create a date night. You are only limited by your own imagination.
· Another key ingredient to the balance formula is your attitude. I've worked with people who believe that it's everyone else's responsibility to create balance for them. However, in these instances, you are effectively giving up your own power to everyone else and making yourself a victim to your circumstances.
Rather than taking a position founded on entitlement, own a perspective of 'how can I make this work for everyone?' By accepting personal accountability for making it happen and by taking a positive and understanding approach, you will be open to more creative solutions
As Gandhi says, "be the Change you wish to see in the world." You must create the changes you wish to see in your life. Your boss, your company, your spouse - they are not responsible to give you the balance you seek. You must create it.
FOR INFORMATION ON MIKE JAFFE'S WORK/LIFE WORKSHOP, contact us at getinfo@karlinsloan.com.
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Meditation - Did You Know?
Employees in a daily meditation program an
average of 11 months showed significant improvements at work compared with members of a control group. Relationships with co-workers and
supervisors improved, and job performance and job satisfaction
increased, while the desire to change jobs decreased (ref. 1). The
results of this research were replicated in a study with several
control groups, which also found significant improvements in the same
areas (ref. 2).
References:
Academy of Management Journal 17 (1974): 362-368.
Scientific Research on the Transcendental Meditation Program: Collected Papers, Volume 1 26 (1977): 630-638.
Anxiety, Stress, and Coping: An International Journal 6 (1994): 245-262.
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Quotations
""When shall we live if not now?" - Seneca "Be
aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and
draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some."
-Robert Fulghum "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving" - Albert Einstein
"To
acquire balance means to achieve that happy medium between the minimum
and the maximum that represents your optimum. The minimum is the least
you can get by with. The maximum is the most you're capable of. The
optimum is the amount or degree of anything that is most favorable
toward the ends you desire." Nido Qubein
"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony."
- Thomas Merton
"Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself"
- Jessye Norman
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BALANCE TIPS
from Mike Jaffe
Here are some distinctions, beliefs, and attitudes you can adopt that will help you achieve a more satisfying balance:
Start with Your Own Definition
Define and know why having a better sense of balance is important to you by answering the following questions:
· How do you define work / life balance?
· Why is balance important to you?
· What are the benefits of having the right balance for you?
· What are the costs of not having it for you?
Create a Vision
Once you know what it is and why balance is important, create a vision of what it might look like.
· What are the elements of your ideal balance? (e.g. more time with kids, exercise 3 times per week, etc.). Be specific.
· What options or possibilities can you think of that would enhance your balance (even if they feel unrealistic at this point)?
Request Accountability
What should the following people provide for you that would improve your sense of balance?
· Your company? E.g. Flex time
· Your boss/ colleagues? E.g. More hires to share the load
· Your spouse/partner/friends? E.g. Support
From your answers, which are important enough to you that you'll take ownership for creating them?
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WE VALUE YOUR FEEDBACK
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To find out about our leadership and organization development services
contact us at getinfo@karlinsloan.com or via phone at 312.242.1801.
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