Is work-life balance a myth or reality?
Lets all get on the same page about work-life balance: is it an old way of thinking? Or is it still relevant? Personally, I think its an old way of thinking; it suggests that we all have an ideal ratio of work and home life that we should always be striving for. It also implies that we can easily shut off our work from our home-life that work and life are static.
Pre-technology this was the case, but we know now that the working relationship is much more dynamic because of technology.
Not only do we know that every persons definition of balance is different, but thanks to the pandemic, the ability to disconnect and take a break or even change physical locations from work and home life has (for some) become a distant memory. The pandemic has changed how we work, but it hasnt stopped the conversation around what we should be doing about it.
Enter: work-life negotiation and work-life engagement, and lets talk about why these are more realistic factors to plan for.
What exactly is work-life negotiation and work-life engagement?
Work-life negotiation is the idea that when were faced with two competing objectives, we have to choose, compromise, and negotiate. While balance implies there is balance negotiation is a moving goal, something that can adapt as we do.
So then, what is work-life engagement?
Work-life engagement is the output of work-life negotiation, in action. When youre able to effectively negotiate your time and resources, youre better able to show up and be engaged in both life and work.
Keep in mind: were facing a major shift learning about the difference between work that must be done in-person (trades, health-care, etc.), and work that can be done remotely. Physical work will always revolve around the number of hours worked, whereas remote work needs to shift its focus on output of work, rather than putting in a certain number of hours per day.
The shift of focus towards output rather than the number of hours spent at a desk and logged on makes space for better planning, expectation setting, and deeper dives into uncovering barriers at work. It may even leave room for understanding engagement better. Go figure.
My employees arent saying they have this problem why should I care?
First of all, make sure you ask. Invest in a survey tool or engagement platform so that your employees can anonymously give feedback. At 91做厙, we use the internal survey tool within our platform for insight and feedback, and weve invested in Peakon to track employee engagement and satisfaction.
Second, did you know there was a ? Its not a surprise that the most answered question revolved around answering emails, calls, and texts outside of standard working hours. Its not totally unreasonable to think that we will see changes (and potentially laws) that govern this, in the future. Best to plan now and get ahead of the curve.
So what should you be thinking about to create better engagement?
As managers, leaders (current or aspiring), and people-focused people, heres a list of some practices within your team or company that you should consider.
Recognition and reward
This is the biggie do you have a clear program in place? Do employees understand it?
Try: It could be as simple as a #shoutout channel on Slack (or whichever instant messaging tool your company uses) to recognize team members who have gone above and beyond to setting up a tool like to reward your team. Long-term, youll want to include immediate recognition and reward into your culture, and as a part of your performance management.
Internal response time
How long can a message or email go unanswered?
Try: Setting an internal expectation. For external messages (like clients), it may be as little as within one business day. For internal messages (email, Slack, Teams, etc.), it may be 24-48 hours. Assess what how you currently work, without making changes, and communicate it to your whole team
Video time vs. phone time
Are cameras always on during meetings? When do you use video vs. phone calls?
Try: Similar to response times, assess how you currently operate. But consider setting boundaries like cameras should be on for 1-on-1 meetings, but can be off for company-wide updates. Managers should know their teams best, but need to set expectations based on feedback from their team. In addition, consider having your weekly team meeting on a phone call, rather than video call. Use the technology we have for what its designed to do!
Juggling different types of meetings and work time
How do you plan for productive time? Are people able to set up work blocks and expect that meetings wont be booked over them? How often do you have brainstorming or decision-making meetings?
Try: At minimum, you should be considering booking planning time. At 91做厙, we call it Heads Down time. We encourage our team to update their Slack status so we know when someone is Heads Down, and avoid booking over these scheduled times designated for completing work. You may also want to consider blocking days of the week, where no company-wide meetings should be scheduled.
Calendar visibility
Can everyone see your calendar details? Are all calendars private?
Try: Encouraging transparency and keeping calendars visible, unless team members work with sensitive or confidential information. The important piece is to understand how you currently operate before changing, and if you do make a change, be ready to explain why.
Social time
How often do you meet socially? What do you give to your employees ahead of or during the social?
Try: Work with your Social Committee to offer events that are employee-led. Offering monthly socials is a great place to start. At 91做厙, we use to host social events. We also use the Slack/Donut integration to encourage 1-on-1 team meetings, and plan annual events for our team members.
