Life/Work Balance - Are you where you are? (Part 1)
How do you get to work? When work is over, how do you get home?
You may be thinking that I have lost my mind with such a simple question but sometimes the simple questions are the most significant questions.
I have asked this question of thousands of managers and the most frequent response is: I get in my car, I drive down these streets, I park in the lot, I take the elevator up to my floor, and I proceed to my desk. At the end of the day, I do this in reverse. (As they answer, they are thinking I am a real simpleton for asking such a basic question.)
Then I respond,
I am not so much interested in the physical element as I am in the psychological element.
What do you do so that when you are at work - you are at work and when you are home - you are at home?
How do you give yourself fully to your work and also ensure that you can leave work behind at the end of the day?
How do you do this with the pervasive technology that allows us to be available and working 24/7?
I have seen too many managers with some of the following symptoms:
- While at work they are mulling about stuff at home.
- It takes a long time even though they are physically at work to really “get into” work.
- They are distracted from what they are trying to do because of regret about something in the past or dread about something in the future. This can happen at home or work.
- They wake up in the middle of the night thinking about work.
- Their spouse or children are talking with them and they are hearing the echoes of voices from work and not hearing their own family members.
- A bad day at work translates to a bad evening at home as bad moods at work work their way into family dynamics.
- They become scattered, distracted, and confused.
- They can’t fully relax.
- When you ask how they are, they tend to answer by responding not with a feeling but with their pace - “busy or crazybusy.”
How we manage or master the transitions between home and work and then work and home plays a significant role in life/work balance.
If we are where we really are it allows us to leave stresses behind and to be fully present in the moment we reside.
Next Thursday I will offer the single biggest method, with examples, of how people can make powerful and complete life/work or work/life transitions.
Photo Credit: Comings & Goings by http://flickr.com/photos/vogelium/90006250/
David Zinger works about 3 inches from where he lives.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: management
10 opinions for Life/Work Balance - Are you where you are? (Part 1)
Ian
Jan 17, 2008 at 5:19 am
When my wife calls me at work - I am no longer at work. No one calls me from the office when I am at home! This is a great paradox
David Zinger
Jan 17, 2008 at 6:13 am
Ian,
A spouse can do that to us or for us. It is good no one calls you at home but many managers are “on call” and they can be half at work even thought they are at home because they think work might call.
Thanks for the paradox.
David
Mike King
Jan 17, 2008 at 9:26 pm
David, I’m looking forward to your response to hear your perspective.
As for me, keeping work at work and home at home is the most important thing for me in my career/life. I find it easy but I’ve also avoided all the tie you down technology that keeps you connected where you really ought not to be. No cell phone, no carry with me laptop, no personal email at work, vise versa, etc. Its all separated.
Managers shouldn’t need to be on call, that is something to delegate. What kind of crisis is really needing a manager (someone to help make their team more effective) in the evening? That is another discussion though.
I find the way to keep work separated is to focus on relationships in work and home, and to keep them personal, face to face. Don’t hide behind a closed door, email, or blackberry. Talk to people as a manager and do your best work through those you talk to. That way, when you go home, its again all about the people. And ONLY those face to face people. Give 100% of your attention to those you interface with directly, at home or work. Ignore that phone call interruption, stop the email notifiers and turn off that damn cell phone at the office. Put 100% of your attention to your face to face audience, make it a habit and you can develop a sense of focus on helping people no matter where you are. The separation is invisible if that is simply how you do things, always with those in direct contact. Talk about what matters to them, and nothing else.
Oh and BTW: I actually rode my mountain unicycle to and from work today with a great audio disc. That definitely helps to get my mind off any home / work tasks as I’m switching focus through the day.
Managing a healthy Life / Work balance. | Mike King's (The Mountain Unicyclist) Blog
Jan 17, 2008 at 9:40 pm
[…] wanted to write this post since I was triggered by a post on Slacker Manager today by David Zinger asking about how you manage your life/work balance and switch between them. I’ll probably […]
David Zinger
Jan 18, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Mike:
Ah you seem to have a good “cycle” between work and home Mike. I love the idea of the single wheel focus as you make the transition - good point about having trained/educated staff so you don’t get the call.
David
vingold
Jan 18, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Being where I am - and doing what is necessary when I am there - has always and (sigh) probably always will be a problem for me.
But whenever I do get a handle on it - I’m more productive than ever.
Great post.
David Zinger
Jan 18, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I always like from Alan Watts I believe: If you make where you are going more important than where you are there may be no point in going.
It is a challenge, I think for all of us, to be where we are.
David
Alik
Jan 21, 2008 at 2:21 am
Supporting Mike King. I trained my wife that there are no calls when i am at work. In case it is i know it is urgent and i answer always, even when with the most important customer. My wife and kids trained me there is no work at home, unless there is agreed justification for that. I trained myself to treat everybody as customer. When engaged with the customer - i am fully dedicated to it, no interruptions, no context switches. All my customers - actual customers, my managers, reports, wife, and kids appreciate such approach so far. I am mobile worker. It means my office is my back pack. It is hard to distinguish where the work starts and where it stops. “Customer” approach helps me make this separation
David Zinger
Jan 21, 2008 at 4:39 am
Alik:
I would like to be your “customer.” Good approach to be where you are.
David
Gal Morale
Jan 21, 2008 at 11:32 am
David,
What a thought provoking post! I tend to think I have good work-life balance - but I have to admit - I have a hard time turning off my computer in the evenings. I’m particularly addicted to checking and responding to email. Since I turned my hobby into my job, it may be time for a different hobby that takes my mind off the job for a little while. Thank you for the terrific post.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: