The Concept of Life Balance
The idea behind life balance in the ideal definition is that an employee has a sense of balance between all the aspects of their life, which can include the following:
• Work
• Family
• Social
• Physical/health
• Financial
• Spiritual
A person who has a strong life balance would be healthy and happy and have a sense of satisfaction because the elements listed above would be “in balance” and none of the areas would be neglected. The person would plan time each day to do the activities that needed to be done to stay in balance. Obviously, they would feel motivated because they would be making progress and not be neglecting any aspect of their life personally or professionally. This is the ideal, which in some people’s lives is the furthest from the reality of day-to-day life.
The reality of life balance is that it is very difficult and is a moving target. It is a constant process because change is happening so rapidly. There will be times at work, for example, when circumstances require a heavy amount of travel, which interferes with family and social aspects.
I once worked with a Fortune 100 company to help start a corporate university. I worked 70 to 80 hours a week for two years. When people asked me what hours I worked, I would say, “I don’t work on Friday nights or Saturdays.” They would laugh because they thought I was joking, but I was serious. Working those hours is what it took to get that department launched. I did not have balance those two years from a family or social perspective, but I knew it was temporary.
There will be times when employees are sick, when they have a family member who is sick, or when there are family situations that need the employee’s attention. They might not be able to spend as much time or attention on work as normal. This is where managers need to display empathy. It is also the opportunity to build trust, loyalty, and commitment. If employees know that managers are committed to them, they will over time become more committed to the manager.
Several years ago, my grandfather passed away. I knew I needed to go to West Virginia, but I didn’t know the details of the viewing or the funeral at that time. I called my manager from the road and left him a voice mail. (My manager was also traveling then.) I received a voice mail back that said, “I got your message and I am very sorry. Go do what you need to do; work will be here when you get back. Just take care of yourself and your family.” This made me feel very relieved. I didn’t have to worry what was going on there. It also built a loyalty with that manager. Trust is not built through words but through actions.
For managers to help employees with life balance, they must first understand when employees are out of balance. There are several signs of lack of balance:
• A change in personality/mood
• Higher level of conflict with other employees
• Missing deadlines at work
• Being late more often
• Grouchiness or moodiness
• More errors in work product than normal
Managers must first diagnose that there is a problem through observation and discussion with the employee. One word of caution: The manager should address only work issues with the employee. Family or financial issues are inappropriate for discussion, except in the most general of terms. The reason for caution is that the manager can easily slip over the line into personal counseling, which is a dangerous line for a manager to cross. I once heard a story about a manager who was giving her employee marriage advice and I was deeply concerned at the myriad of problems that could produce. That kind of counseling should be done by a professional. Therefore, discussions between managers and employees must remain professional at all times.
Complete the life balance self-assessment below and on the following page. The worksheet should be used in two ways:
• For the manager to complete themself to see if their analysis indicates a solid work/life balance
• For the manager to have employees complete to see how they rank, and for purposes of discussion
