WORK-LIFE BALANCE
"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air.
You name them -- work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're keeping all
of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you
drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends
and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably
scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered."
--Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises
The demands of work and personal life have always been regarded as two
separate domains. Employees were expected to leave their personal concerns at
home and concentrate on performing their jobs efficiently and productively. Many
employees reported high levels of stress and feeling burned-out.
During the past several years, the theme of Work-Life Balance has been the
focus of many companies as managers realize that staff are far more productive
when their individual needs are taken into account. In fact, many Work/Life
programs have been instituted at companies, including flex time, help with child
care and elder care concerns, housing and schooling. These programs were
designed to accommodate workers in their personal lives.
Why is it, then, that so many employees still suffer from an inability to
integrate their work/life demands? Why does there never seem to be enough time
to carve out for family and personal needs? Why is it that people are still
feeling stressed and can't get anything done?
The reality is there are different points in peoples' lives when there are
fewer choices regarding work life balance. Single moms, parents with young
children, and people who travel extensively in their work are a few examples of
people with tremendous time pressures.
Can anything be done to help people who are juggling multiple roles? We
believe there is.
The Transition Guide can help people look at their specific Situation,
their Self, their Support system and their Strategies in
order to determine which S needs bolstering and then create a specific
plan on how to achieve more balance in their lives. For example, a person who
values exercise but has no time to work-out may take a brisk walk with a
colleague during their lunch break to discuss business. Other people may reframe
how they view their situation, i.e., today isn't forever, this, too, will pass,
I am doing the best I can. The point is to be creative to minimize stress. There
is always some action people can take, however small, that can help them.
