Work/Life balance is a fallacy. And yet, we try to prove otherwise on a regular basis.
Once upon a time, there was work/life separation. You came to work, did your job, and went home.
Technology changed all that. With technology, there was never a need to unplug. Work was happening at work, then you could bring it home to finish it. Hard chargers quickly built strong reputations. Soon, you NEEDED to work longer just to stay relevant. We called this phenomena, work/life integration.
Now with work and life functioning interchangeably, it didn’t take long for one to supersede the other. If you were a career person, life took a backseat to work. You could frame it any way you liked. I spend more time at work and with work to provide a better life for my family.
Except that families want time more than things. They won’t tell you this, but it’s true.
So now we find ourselves back to work/life balance. Since, sadly, it’s not going to change, I have a few suggestions to minimize the pain.
- Communicate Your Reasons. Your family and friends will notice your absence. In the absence of information, assumptions are made. You’re too good for us. You don’t love us as much as your job. You’re too busy to listen to me. This leads to resentment. If you’re going to take time from family and friends to devote to work, make sure you let them know the reason.
- Have a Goal in Mind. Work for the sake of work is mind-numbing torture. If you’re a hard charger, putting in the hours to achieve a goal gives you a purpose. If you need to put in more hours, be sure there is a tangible goal or reward. Be sure to refer to suggestion #1.
- Set a Time Frame. You can keep up the balance for a season, but not much longer. If you are putting in the hours for a particular goal, be sure to keep that goal as your focus. Communicate that goal to your family and friends. Let them know it’s not forever, just for a season.
- Equip Yourself! Not knowing how to do something increases the amount of time you spend doing it. If you currently manage people, do you have the necessary knowledge and skills to do this? Investing in your learning shortens your learning curve and diminishes the time you’ll need to get things done. If you want to hang in the balance admirably, you need to be as skilled and efficient as you can. Have you ever received formal training in your management role? If not, why not join us in January for our next cohort in The Art of Being a Great Boss Masterclass. 13, one-hour virtual sessions done every other week. You’ll learn all the basics from building rapport, improving communication, leveraging your personality profile, diagnosing performance issues, motivating a diverse workforce, improving processes and functions, and navigating organizational politics. For more information, click HERE and sign up.
Remember, one day you will be on the other side of retirement. All the hours you put in through the years will no longer matter. What will matter is who you spend that retirement with. Have you worked on those relationships as hard as you did you job? If not, this is when payback happens. It’s not too late to change course.