Did you ever play on a teeter-totter as a kid? Work-life balance is a similar game. Achieving equilibrium is challenging, and if one side shifts too quickly, you come crashing to the ground.
Ask ten people about their ideal work-life balance, and you will get ten different answers. As a manager, you have to find your own balance, and you must consider the varied work-life balance definitions among your staff while simultaneously ensuring productivity and success. The concept isn’t new, but the COVID-19 pandemic may provide you with a larger glimpse into your employees’ home lives. Their life demands such as caring for young children or managing health concerns may now intrude in the workspace in more obvious ways.
Regardless of how you and your company define work-life balance, experts offer some key findings.
Balance Is important
Americans value a strong work ethic. It’s what we built our country on—work hard enough and you can achieve the American dream. In his Atlantic article, “Workism Is Making Americans Miserable,” Derek Thompson writes, “No large country in the world as productive as the United States averages more hours of work a year. And the gap between the US and other countries is growing. Between 1950 and 2012, annual hours worked per employee fell by about 40% in Germany and the Netherlands—but by only 10% in the United States.”
However, all work and no play make Jack a sick boy. According to a Harvard Business School and Stanford University study, work stress can cause as much damage as second-hand smoke. In addition, workaholics experience more incidents of anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, insomnia, and weakened immune systems. Well-rested and balanced workers, on the other hand, are more productive and stay longer at a company.
Employees Don’t Feel They Have Adequate Balance
In a recent Democrat & Chronicle survey of 10,002 workers from 100 Rochester, NY-area companies, only 48% of respondents said they have the flexibility they need to balance their work and personal life. Also, 60% of workers blame low work-life balance on “bad bosses,” according to a 2015 U.S. News article.
Bad bosses are only one part of the problem. As Peter Drucker famously put it, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” For example, company cultures that reward long hours and eschewing vacations hold a powerful sway over employees. If they’re not present 24/7, employees fear being:
Perceived as disloyal.
Left out of important decisions.
Falling behind.
Demoted or fired.
All these worries make many employees think twice about taking needed time off to recharge or take care of family.
Creating a Culture for Better Balance
Changing a culture is like turning an aircraft carrier; it doesn’t happen quickly. However, change can happen and often starts at the top. How can you help transform your workplace to provide an improved work-life balance culture?
Put employees in the right positions. When employees feel overwhelmed and are unable to handle the demands of the job, they are more likely to experience the negative effects of stress. Part of balance is feeling competent and connected to the work we do. Make sure you have the right people in the right positions.
Be empathic. Remember, needing extra time off isn’t a lack of loyalty or a sign of weakness. Employees sometimes take extra leave out of obligations such as caring for an elderly parent, not by choice.
Don’t command, converse. It’s important to be clear with each employee about what you expect and the consequences if they don’t meet those expectations. However, when someone needs extra time off, have a conversation about how the leave of absence may impact the team and discuss creative ways the team can address those challenges. Better yet, ask the employee to provide two or more creative solutions for how the work can still get done in his or her absence. This process can build trust, clarify action and accountability, and create shared responsibility of outcomes. (Read about additional management strategies working with employees here.)
Put on your air mask first. During an emergency when flying, parents should put on their air masks first before helping their children. As your organization’s leader, you are responsible for your staff and guiding them through both smooth and turbulent skies. Make sure you have plenty of oxygen; that is, first take care of yourself.
Make a positive out of a crisis. The COVID-19 virus, while extraordinarily disruptive, may provide your organization an opportunity to reexamine work-life balance issues. Consider talking to your staff about their experiences working from home. How much can they accomplish? What challenges do they face? Are there pleasant surprises? What ideas do staff have for streamlining work with this new-found perspective? Often out of the worst tragedies come opportunities for creative solutions.
We Are All in This Together
No matter the circumstances, balance isn’t easy, but it’s possible to ride work’s teeter-totter ups-and-downs, and even survive the occasional crash. By acknowledging employee’s different balance demands, identifying productivity challenges, and creating space for employees to be a part of creating solutions, you build a cohesive team who can build success together.