How can we reframe work/life balance to be inclusive?
This is a continuing conversation based on an article I wrote for the Huffington Post entitled 'Work / Life Balance: Refocusing a Flawed Concerpt' (bit.ly/c19opp). I would love to open this discussion up while researching my next article / blog series - please share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences. I truly appreciate your in-put.
Topic: The concept of Work / Life Balance as it relates to:
-classism
-practicality
-empowerment / disempowerment
-workability for unemployed, under-employed and retired individuals
-people who's lives are hard work: working and care-taking an ill loved-one, 'troubled' child or difficult family situation
Is there a way to teach / practice the idea of balance in daily life without succumbing to the 'work less, play more' model? I would love to hear from everyone and particularly: social workers, educators in under-served communities, people who are unemployed, under-employed, retired and on a fixed income.
Answers (10)
Dave M.
Professional trade show booth traffic builder and party entertainer. Corporate and private sector events.
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (657), Customer Service (34), Business Development (23), Advertising (18), Professional Networking (16), Education and Schools (15), Staffing and Recruiting (15), Government Policy (14), Internet Marketing (13), Career Management (13), Web Development (13), Organizational Development (12), Small Business (12), Job Search (11), Starting Up (11), Event Marketing and Promotions (10), Public Relations (9), Sales Techniques (8), Energy and Development (8), Computers and Software (8), Personnel Policies (7), Health Care (7), Work-life Balance (7), Manufacturing (7), Business Plans (7), Mentoring (6), Intellectual Property (6), Lead Generation (6), Business Analytics (6), Regulation and Compliance (5), Writing and Editing (5), Corporate Governance (5), Change Management (5), Supply Chain Management (5), Ethics (5), Wireless (5), Car and Train Travel (4), Occupational Training (4), Accounting (4), Compensation and Benefits (4), Criminal Law (4), Direct Marketing (4), Project Management (4), Market Research and Definition (4), Blogging (4), Enterprise Software (4), Databases (4), Telecommunications (4), Facilities Management (3), Purchasing (3), Freelancing and Contracting (3), Conference Planning (3), Financial Regulation (3), Public Health and Safety (3), Internationalization and Localization (3), Treaties, Agreements and Organizations (3), Events Marketing (3), Graphic Design (3), Mobile Marketing (3), Search Marketing (3), Philanthropy (3), Social Enterpreneurship (3), Quality Management and Standards (3), Positioning (3), Professional Organizations (3), Green Business (3), Green Products (3), E-Commerce (3), Software Development (3), Air Travel (2), Business Dining and Entertainment (2), Public Funding (2), Mergers and Acquisitions (2), Health Administration (2), Offshoring and Outsourcing (2), Property Law (2), Customer Relationship Management (2), Commodity Markets (2), Nonprofit Fundraising (2), Inventory Management (2), Personal Investing (2), Personal Real Estate (2), Pricing (2), Professional Books and Resources (2), Communication and Public Speaking (2), Biotech (2), Information Security (2), Information Storage (2), Business Insurance (1), Commercial Real Estate (1), Hotels (1), Certification and Licenses (1), Conference Venues (1), Auditing (1), Foreign Investment (1), Venture Capital and Private Equity (1), Economics (1), Risk Management (1), Government Contracts (1), Government Services (1), Environmental Health (1), Exporting/Importing (1), Corporate Law (1), Finance and Securities Law (1), Viral Marketing (1), Labor Relations (1), Planning (1), Futures Markets (1), Packaging and Labeling (1), Individual Insurance (1), Wealth Management (1), Branding (1), Distribution (1), Engineering (1), Franchising (1)
Exercise, eat healthy...
Rey S.
Global Demand Manager at Abbott Diabetes Care
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (20), Education and Schools (5), Supply Chain Management (5), Job Search (4), Accounting (4), Ethics (4), Inventory Management (3), Career Management (3), Communication and Public Speaking (3), Mentoring (2), Organizational Development (2), Packaging and Labeling (2), Business Dining and Entertainment (1), Certification and Licenses (1), Economics (1), Government Policy (1), Compensation and Benefits (1), Staffing and Recruiting (1), Internationalization and Localization (1), Offshoring and Outsourcing (1), Advertising (1), Direct Marketing (1), Business Development (1), Graphic Design (1), Lead Generation (1), Search Marketing (1), Business Analytics (1), Corporate Governance (1), Change Management (1), Labor Relations (1), Planning (1), Nonprofit Management (1), Philanthropy (1), Social Enterpreneurship (1), Manufacturing (1), Personal Debt Management (1), Distribution (1), Engineering (1), Pricing (1), Professional Networking (1), Energy and Development (1), Blogging (1), Computers and Software (1)
For 17% of eligible workers, work / life balance is off kilter as they are unemployed and thus have zero work. For the majority of the 83%, they are having having to overload on the work part in an attempt to prevent having to join the 17%.
Christine H.
Do you have your copy of my FREE Report yet? Get "Top 10 Linked Profile Success Secrets" now at: goo.gl/beKnU
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (367), Business Development (16), Customer Service (15), Education and Schools (12), Staffing and Recruiting (12), Professional Networking (8), Small Business (8), Advertising (7), Sales Techniques (7), Web Development (7), Job Search (6), Internet Marketing (6), Public Relations (6), Certification and Licenses (5), Planning (5), Starting Up (5), Computers and Software (5), Conference Planning (4), Government Policy (4), Health Care (4), Exporting/Importing (4), Organizational Development (4), Manufacturing (4), Blogging (4), Computer Networking (4), Software Development (4), Purchasing (3), Accounting (3), Personnel Policies (3), Events Marketing (3), Search Marketing (3), Inventory Management (3), Professional Books and Resources (3), Career Management (3), E-Commerce (3), Wireless (3), Business Insurance (2), Commercial Real Estate (2), Facilities Management (2), Travel Tools (2), Economics (2), Compensation and Benefits (2), Health Administration (2), International Law (2), Criminal Law (2), Employment and Labor Law (2), Tax Law (2), Direct Marketing (2), Graphic Design (2), Mobile Marketing (2), Lead Generation (2), Writing and Editing (2), Business Analytics (2), Social Enterpreneurship (2), Personal Real Estate (2), Market Research and Definition (2), Positioning (2), Professional Organizations (2), Information Storage (2), Regulation and Compliance (1), Air Travel (1), Hotels (1), Freelancing and Contracting (1), Mentoring (1), Occupational Training (1), Resume Writing (1), Event Marketing and Promotions (1), Mergers and Acquisitions (1), Government Services (1), Environmental Health (1), Work-life Balance (1), Internationalization and Localization (1), Treaties, Agreements and Organizations (1), Corporate Law (1), Customer Relationship Management (1), Change Management (1), Bond Markets (1), Commodity Markets (1), Nonprofit Management (1), Philanthropy (1), Project Management (1), Quality Management and Standards (1), Supply Chain Management (1), Personal Investing (1), Wealth Management (1), Product Design (1), Green Business (1), Green Products (1), Biotech (1), Enterprise Software (1), Databases (1), Telecommunications (1)
We can start talking about where we invest our time and our money, and focus on making deliberate choices about our work-life balance and priorities.
Best,
Christine Hueber
Engaging Social Media Relationship Marketing
+1 530.582.8091 Direct
http://ChristineHueber.com
Links:
I participated in a Work Life Balance workshop several years ago and found it to be very rewarding. Many concepts were explored and taught including mind mapping, identifying stressful sources, identifying solutions to reduce the stress as well as other problem solving and relaxation techniques. Therefore, I suggest participation in such a work shop. These techniques are positively effective on a life long basis and in every aspect of one's life. My experience is that sometimes circumstances can create an imbalance between work and life. However, recognition and identification of that imbalance allows one to work towards an improved balance.
Make your work your play. Get a job doing the thing you enjoy doing. It is the thing you will do best, and likely the thing you will be most successful at. So lets stop this ridiculous idea of work being painful, and get living our passions
Ian P.
Director, Sales-Mind, Author “The Activity Illusion”
Best Answers in: Government Policy (1), Work-life Balance (1)
I think the concept of work-life balance is starting to get out-moded - it suggests a pair of scales and that if you take a bit off the work side of the equation it will benefit the life side. In today's 24-7 environment, the balance concept has been eroded by the way in which we use technology so that work bleeds continually into "life". Rather than seek a balance, we need to re-think the way we look at work.
Rob S.
Head of Credit Risk Management at Bank Leumi (UK) plc
Best Answers in: Education and Schools (1)
Perhaps it could be reframed as "me time" and "you time".
Given that the boundaries of work and life have become blurred, this allows for the encroachment of work into life and vice versa.
This will also prevent the concept excluding those who do not "formally" work. The unemployed and the retired are still likely to fill their days with activities that are non "me" and therefore require to balance this with "me time".
Differentiating between these possibilities is naturally empowering as it leads to a more conscious decision about how time is being spent, wherever the person may physically be.
Teaching this concept is tough. What you are really doing is adapting people's behaviours so that they can lead a fulfilling life.
Karen E. L.
Currently temping as Administrative Assistant - seeking permanent position.
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (49), Job Search (8), Staffing and Recruiting (5), Education and Schools (4), Communication and Public Speaking (4), Small Business (4), Mentoring (3), Health Care (3), Ethics (3), Professional Networking (3), Blogging (3), Occupational Training (2), Public Health and Safety (2), Work-life Balance (2), Internationalization and Localization (2), Internet Marketing (2), Business Development (2), Organizational Development (2), Planning (2), Nonprofit Management (2), Philanthropy (2), Quality Management and Standards (2), Wealth Management (2), Engineering (2), Customer Service (1), Certification and Licenses (1), Resume Writing (1), Economics (1), Mergers and Acquisitions (1), Compensation and Benefits (1), Personnel Policies (1), International Law (1), Treaties, Agreements and Organizations (1), Criminal Law (1), Intellectual Property (1), Employment and Labor Law (1), Events Marketing (1), Graphic Design (1), Customer Relationship Management (1), Writing and Editing (1), Corporate Governance (1), Change Management (1), Commodity Markets (1), Hedge Funds (1), Nonprofit Fundraising (1), Social Enterpreneurship (1), Retirement and Estate Planning (1), Product Design (1), Career Management (1), Business Plans (1), Energy and Development (1), E-Commerce (1), Computers and Software (1), Computer Networking (1), Information Security (1), Web Development (1)
The thing I find most unbalanced about "work-life balance" is that it is almost exclusively directed toward people with spouses and/or children. In short, work-life balance is usually achieved within a company by allowing parents time off for sick children and soccer games by handing their work to the single, childless employees. (Look at the article you linked to, with a Rosie the Riveter character holding a child!)
I sometimes would like more time (or flexibility in hours) for pursuing educational and volunteer activities. The only time that's ever been an option was when the head of my department was himself single, childless and an active volunteer.
The best work situation I've had, in general, was an employer who didn't distinguish between vacation, personal and sick days. It was all "Paid Time Off" (PTO). We all got the same number of days (with an escalating scale based on number of years employed at the organization) to use however we like.
chenbagam P.
Adviser in production at Dhanvanthri Nilayam Ayurveda Clinic
Best Answers in: Health Care (2), Work-life Balance (2), Using LinkedIn (2), Job Search (1), Internationalization and Localization (1), Business Analytics (1), Quality Management and Standards (1), Energy and Development (1)
Too much expectations are the main cause of present troubled life. As prophetical words as 'do not wander for how to eat and what to dress', we are always stressed for such simple things. We should understand the real purpose of life. We are going to do what our parents and grand parents have done. 'Take it easy' policy is always good for balancing the work and life. What we do not forget is that it is our duty to help our dependents. Do the maximum what you can and leave it the remaining. Nothing is guarantee in this world.
With regards.
