Work:Life Balance? I'm NOT in the Mood!

WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT TODAY? Work-Life Balance - what is it exactly? Is the word “balance” confusing us into thinking that the hours we spend working and the other hours we spend in life should equal each other? Yes, many people believe that, and unfortunately, it’s not that easy. In fact, the math doesn’t work out at all. You can’t have a work-life balance if you try to calculate a formula for it, but you can have a work-life balance if you work to change your mood in life. 

WHAT TOPICS DO WE COVER?

* When did we start to worry about work-life balance?

* We do the work-life math calculation - and it doesn’t work out.

* Work is essential for life; you usually spend most of your time working

* Work-Life balance is not a math formula - it’s a mood you feel.

* Employers need to enable work-life balance programs. We offer some tips.

* How can you change the mood your employees feel about working?

* How can you use mood-altering methods to achieve a genuine work-life balance?

WHAT’S THE TAKE-AWAY? You only have so much time in a week to devote to everything in your life - including your need to work. For most of us, work will always consume the majority of our available time. Even so, being in a state of happiness at work and at home is possible if you can be in the right mood for both. If you achieve that mood - you forget about and don’t recognize an imbalance.

WE USED THESE RESOURCES:

Besides our experiences that directly relate to this topic, we found the following resources very helpful in preparing for this episode:

Alicia Nortje, Ph.D. Work-Life Balance in Psychology: 12 Examples and Theories. Alicia Nortje, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. https://positivepsychology.com/what-is-work-life-balance/

We mentioned these resources in the podcast:

Glassdoor https://www.glassdoor.com/

Fairygodboss https://fairygodboss.com

Careerbliss https://www.careerbliss.com

Here is a draft position statement for a company Ombudsmen, as we discussed in the podcast:

NAME OF PERSON - is Acme’s Ombudsman and reports directly to the CEO. The role of the Ombudsman at Acme is to have a confidential and impartial teammate available to anyone who has a deep concern about the organization. Concerns could be centered around a policy, a practice, or a person at any level in our business. The guarantee of the Ombudsman is confidentiality and approachability for all, in an informal setting and as an advocate for fairness and equity. The only advice we offer on when it’s proper to use the Ombudsman over talking to your manager or HR first is when you alone feel those other options are not your best choice.

WHO ARE DAVE AND KELLI?

An Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur duo with street smarts, ‘preneurial’ chops, and a penchant for storytelling.

Dave and Kelli met as teenagers and have a life-long story of their own. They took separate and contrasting career paths, both struggling with challenges and celebrating their career successes differently. 

Over the years, they noticed similarities in their stories about their work, the people they interacted with, and how business was conducted. Kelli, who “worked for the man like a dog for decades,” and Dave, who “started or ran businesses all of his life,” quickly realized there is substantial value for others in those combined experiences. 

The “My Job Here Is Done” Podcast is the result. Ultimately, you’re building a great business or moving up the career ladder of success, and we absolutely know we can help!

HOW TO WORK WITH US

If you like what you hear in the podcast, we have more to share with companies that we work with. 

With the foundation of business experience from Dave and Kelli as a team, in concert with subject matter experts from the rich roster of smart people in our network, we have put these goals, culture themes, and operational processes you hear on the podcast to the test - and they work. 

If you have a complicated problem to solve and believe in the balanced approach that the needs of the business must be aligned with the needs of employees - AND you like to play to win - click here to learn how you can work with us.