Work/Life balance is a phrase this often bandied about these days, with companies quick to promote their so called benefits that increase the balance such as ‘working from home’, your birthday as holiday, or flexi time. But do these types of benefits truly help employees attain that delicate equilibrium between their work and home life?
We are now living in an era constant connectivity, where companies offer 24 hour a day service, and staff can be contacted at 12am via email. Leaders who work globally can find themselves in conference calls at odd hours to connect with counterparts or clients across the world, and that’s before we even talk about social media!
Added to the strains and stresses of the need to be constantly ‘on call’ commute times are creeping up too – with the average commute time now almost 30 minutes longer per day than back in 1990.
So, at a time when we working longer hours than ever, spending more time travelling to work, and then even carrying on working when we get home, it can be incredibly difficult to find the time to attend to your personal needs outside of your business life.
And for those with responsibility, this becomes even more apparent. According to this article in Time CEO’s get significantly less sleep than their employees.
So what can leaders do to address the balance between work and home?
Work out your priorities – What is non-negotiable?
If you feel that your life is becoming so worked focus that it’s to the detriment to other areas of your life, such as your mental health or family harmony – then it’s time to take stock. Step back and work out what you need to do to get the balance right. This may involve simple decisions such as limiting after work networking or reworking meeting times. However in some instances, you will need to have a long think about how your work affects your life as a whole.
As an example, I had worked with Avis Budget Group for 26 years. I held a senior position, the Director of Licensee relations and franchise operations. I loved my role and the organization, however, my commute was 120 miles a day , (leaving at 5 am and getting home after 6 pm. On conference calls the whole time) across two major bridges, adding 5 hours to my already long day. Added to that, I was constantly checking my emails on weekends and evenings, and started to realize that I didn’t have the time to give to my family that they deserved. I thought through every option, could we move closer to work, could I offer my organization a different work pattern? In the end, I took the very difficult decision to leave and start afresh.
Also in 2015 decided to go back and get my MBA online which has given me a different outlook. I chose that my priority was to find a career that I can be passionate about, while also making sure I make time for the other passions in my life.
I’m not saying that this is the answer for everyone, but do take the time to consider ALL of your options.
Set Boundaries with yourself
A lot of corporate stress is almost self-induced. No one is demanding that you send that midnight email. No one told you to take that call at the weekend.
Set your own boundaries. Choose times that you will step away from the tablet, switch the phone onto airplane mode, and most importantly switch off your ‘work brain’. There’s a saying which goes something like ‘if you’re in the room, be in the room’. So if you are with your friends, family, or just taking some time for yourself, make sure that you mind as well as body is engaged and not thinking about that report you have to start on Monday.
Lead by Example
None of the above will work if you are not offering the same consideration of your staff’s wellbeing. If you are demanding 12 hour days from your team on a regular basis – you’ll be working 16! New employees can sometimes be very keen to impress, putting in long hours, and going way above and beyond what is expected. While this is of course, admirable, let them know when it’s ok to stop, and encourage them to be mindful of their work life balance. After all, a happy, health team is far more productive than an exhausted, disheartened team who feel resentful.
Angela Barbato is an award-winning Change and Transformation specialist. Having held a range of senior leadership roles at Avis Budget Group, Angela is a foremost expert on the topics of leadership, transformation and customer experience. You can find out more about Angela at http://www.abarbato.com.