Balancing Work Life Balance

Over the weekend I read an article about a recent report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development which has attempted to rank its 36 member countries according to work life balance.  The UK was ranked 24th due to long work hours which in turn impacts on the amount of time spent on leisure (family time, socialising with friends, hobbies etc)  and personal care (eating, sleeping, washing etc) activities.  Incidentally Denmark came out top and Turkey were at the other end of the scale.  Further details of the report can be found here.

The article acknowledged that different people will define work life balance in different ways but generally speaking the gist is the same; it's about the choices we make.   

"Achieving balance means prioritising your career ambitions with health, pleasure, family and leisure time; in other words, it’s all about the choices we as individuals make."
(www.robertsoncooper.com)

I agree that it's all about choice, admittedly often the choices are pretty tough ones to make and they come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages which we have to wade through but they are choices never the less. 

The article then went on to offer 6 questions to see if you have control over your work life balance, saying that if you answer yes to any of these, or more worryingly several of these, then you have lost control of your work life balance.

1. Are you working more than 60 hours a week?
2. Are you constantly re-arranging your schedule?
3. Do you always eat lunch at your desk?
4. Can you commit to a meeting several months in advance?
5. Do you travel more than 50% of the time?
6. Does the idea of taking a week long vacation scare you?
(www.inc.com)

It's always a tricky one to measure and I agree that if you answer yes to any of these then it might be time revisit your choices before your health and wellbeing takes a massive hit.

However, I believe in prevention wherever possible and to me this feels like a case of having to implement a rather drastic set of changes in an attempt to "cure" your work life balance.   These are some big examples of a imbalanced work life balance and it's always going to be more tricky to bring it back to a more healthy even keel from this point.   Ideally I think we should try and be aware of how we're feeling with regard to our work life balance on a regular basis.  Hopefully this means that we would have the opportunity to make what could be quite small adjustments to our choices on a more frequent basis to realign our work life balance thus taking a more preventative course of action.

So with this in mind, I've created my own list of questions which I'm calling....and I suggest you take a rather deep breath now because I warn you, it's not a short snappy title...

Six Questions to See If You Need to Make Some Small Adjustments to Your Choices to Realign Your Work Life Balance...before you explode from trying

1. Do you feel stretched beyond what is comfortable by work and home life and feel like you're pulled from one thing to the next without much down time?

2. Do you wish you had more time together as a family just to have fun?

3. Do you struggle to get out of work on time and end up running / driving just that bit faster than you should and still you're the last parent to arrive at the school gates or after school club for pick up?

4. Do you struggle to find time to start that new book you're desperate to read that's been on your bedside table for 2 months now?

5. Do you struggle to find the time and energy to fit in exercise even though you'd like to get fitter?

6. Do you feel like you're on a playground roundabout and you just need to jump off for a bit to have a chance to get back on top of things?

If you have answered "yes" to any or many of these questions then now is the time to have a think about what small preventative adjustment you could make. 

If you need more ideas, then you're in luck as I'm very pleased to announce....drum roll please.....that we are very  close to the launch of the first Work Smart Work Savvy on-line course which tackles the issues above.  

OK, I've said enough for now....just a little tease...but rest assured, more information will be coming out from here at Work Smart Work Savvy HQ very soon so do keep popping back.

UPDATE
The course mentioned above is now available here called "4 Savvy Steps To Getting More Done Without Working More Hours".   There are more Q&As if you follow this link but here's a couple to give you a taster...

Who is this “4 Savvy Steps to Getting More Done” a perfect match for?
If you can relate to any of these, then this course has seriously got your name on it...

• You feel like you’re on a round about and just need to jump off for a bit to catch up
• You’re working really hard but it still feels like there’s still so much to do
• You’re always busy and always rushing about
• You feel like you need at least one extra pair of hands to stay on top of things
• You feel stretched, a bit overwhelmed and can feel the stress creeping in
• You have lots on your plate and can’t find time for yourself
• You have blurred lines around your work and home life
• You feel like you’re chasing your tail rather than making real progress
• Your work life balance needs some tweaking and realignment
• You feel you have endless demands coming at you from all angles
• You want to get more done without working more hours

What’s the overall aim of “4 Savvy Steps to Getting More Done”?
To identify what’s important to you in your life, look at your working habits both good and not so good and give you the tools to be able to use your time smartly, to get what needs to be done done and to have more time for doing what you want to be doing, in a sustainable manner.

Coffee Date Interview 11 - Jan Sangster

Name: Jan Sangster

Job Title: HR Projects Co-ordinator Swindon College

What drives you crazy at work?
Actually not a lot really. I do like a cup of tea whilst going through my e-mails first thing in the morning, so can get a bit “twitchy” if I am tea-free for a while. I do really enjoy my job and work with a great team in a great place so the little things that annoy are more than made up for by that.

What’s the first thing you do on arriving at work?
Turn on my computer, check my e-mails and have a look and see what is planned for the day. Then realise that the plans will probably go awry as a number of urgent things have sneaked their way onto my to do list.


When the going gets tough......?
I have a great support network in family and friends and it’s good to talk. Nothing like a good old natter over cuppa with someone who understands. Failing that I enjoy going on a good long walk. We are really fortunate that we have so many lovely places in Wiltshire where you can walk the cobwebs away and take some time out.



How do you relax / wind down after a hard day at work?
Chill out with my husband and cats, watch some television, read and do some work for the organisations I volunteer with.

When you were little, what did you want to be?
Funnily enough I wanted to be a dental hygienist. Not sure why but it's very far away from what I am doing now.

What eats up most of your time at work?
I am very fortunate in that there is a lot of variety in my work at the moment so I have a good balance between the people facing and “paperwork” tasks. I actually enjoy both.

What’s the best advice given to you?
Two pieces of advice. The first is “if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always had” and “people forget what you said and they will forget what you did, but they won’t forget how you made them feel” . The last quote is from the great Maya Angelou and very true.

What are the 3 “always” in your life?
1.Always take time for yourself.

2. Always remember that you don’t know what difficulties other people are facing, even if they seem fine to you.

3. Always remember too that this is not a rehearsal for the next life, so make the most of every opportunity.

Night in or Night out?
Night in with a nice meal, good company and a great movie.

Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsey?
Oh dear, confession time. I don’t really like cooking (my husband is a great cook though thankfully) but if I had to choose it would be Jamie Oliver.

Del Boy or Rodney?
Rodney I think. He was quite sensitive and honest and always tried his best.

Countryside or Seaside?
I love the seaside when it’s quiet and you just stick your hands in your coat pockets and go for a walk in the seaside air. My parents live near the Dorset coastline and it’s stunning, a great place to recharge.

Hannah Fox's Diary 14 - The Kitchen Yard

 

Haven’t had time to focus on work worries this week, we have a new contract with The Kitchen Yard who are opening up 6 outlets this year and we are providing all the POS material.  Yippee!  I first started talking to them in September last year and have been waiting to see if we are their preferred supplier, I feel I had worked really hard to come up with a competitive package.

Clive was out of the office last week and was a bit vague about where he was going, he breezed in this morning looking smug.

It turns out we were invited to a promo event at a Michelin Star Restaurant in the New Forest. The company sent an email thanking me for my input and were sorry to hear I couldn't attend the event.

Once again Clive is muscling in on freebies and perks and he knows I won’t be disloyal to the company and if I complain to him it’s going to make me sound unprofessional and petty. Aaaargh!

Before it was annoying and hurtful (even though I couldn't actually go anyway) but now I'm able to go out more, I could have gone. Darren thinks I am over reacting and says it was probably dull...I think I would be the best judge of that!

This has been niggling at me all day and has put me completely on my guard ………I keep thinking what else is he going to do? 

Work
In one way being left to hold the fort has meant I actually achieved what I am supposed to be doing rather than running around after Clipboard Clive.

Social 
We are all going out to the school social it will be good to meet up with the other parents.

Family 
The pizza was great and the kids enjoyed being in charge.

Well-being 
Did 2 Power Walks this week feeling good!

Hannah Fox is a character.  She is based on our years of experience working for a national mental health charity supporting people facing stress in the workplace.  

The names and characters are not based on any one person and all similarities are purely incidental.

However, hopefully we can all see a little bit of ourselves in Hannah.

Point to Ponder:

Can trust ever be regained?

Midweek Motivation - 6th May 2015

Coffee Date Interview 10 - Andy Van Heusen

Name: Andy Van Heusen

Job title: Founder of Pumpco Ltd





1. What are the 3 “always” in your life?
Family, food, computers.

2. What’s the last thing you do at work before leaving?
Try and be green and ensure that everything is powered down/switched off and that I've got everything I need to take home with me.

3. What’s the first thing you do on arriving at work?
Say “hi” to the team and ask how they're doing, then usually go and switch the kettle on.

4. How do you relax / wind down after a hard day at work?
Read, watch TV, program computers, cuddle wife Katie.

5. What song will guarantee to make you feel better?
Don't really listen to music.

6. What one thing would you change about your job or place of work?
A more steady and guaranteed revenue stream.

7. What’s the biggest compliment you’ve had a work?
A chairman that believed in me enough to found a company based on my vision.

8. What’s the best advice given to you?
Not really been given that much advice, but never stop learning was one that I do recall.

9. Marmite- yes or no?
Hell yeah!

10. Live to work or work to live?
I like to think work to live, but it does not always feel that way, it's tough when you know you have others depending on you such as family / employees.

11. Coffee or Tea?
Coffee, I mostly drink coffee (decaf) but tea has its place too.

12. Wine or Beer?

Wine, but both have their place, wine on a weekend evening and with food, beer on a 

summer's day.

Hannah Fox's Diary 13 - Just when you thought it was safe to have lunch at your desk

I was browsing the BBC the other day and and found an article about what drives us nuts at work what drives us nuts at work and funnily enough Clipboard Clive wasn’t even mentioned! But it said that one of the things that causes tension is people eating at their desks. This is not a thing that normally worries me as my desk is on its own and I don’t really come across much chomping during the course of the day.

Well I take it all back enter...Graeme the IT contractor who is now taking full advantage of the new microwave installed in the office since the sandwich shop has closed down. Most people heat up soup or the occasional jacket potato but NOT GRAEME – does he just live on curries?

This week it’s been vindaloo on Monday, lamb bhuna on Tuesday and fish pie on Wednesday.

Don’t get me wrong I like curries and fish pie but I think you should be considerate of others in the office.  Quite honestly the aroma is quite over powering and I think I have become sensitised to the sound of the ping of the microwave which heralds the latest lurid lunch!! I’ve bought a neutralising spray but it is proving to be ineffective against Graeme’s tasty treats being unleashed on the office and don't even get me started on the empty meal for one cartons left in and around the bin!!

OK rant over....and breathe!  

Well as they say every cloud has a silver lining  and after a particularly nasty whiff of the latest gastronomic delight, I decided the weather was good enough take my lunch and head out to the park.

Bliss -fresh air.

I always thought I was too busy to leave my desk for ½ hour break but I’m finding I’m coming back refreshed, it’s given me thinking time as well to run through problems in my head while I’m out. I’ve even had a mental run through of my preparation for my next meeting with Clive.

Work
I’m beginning to see my situation as a challenge that I can do something about, I’m determined not to be on the back foot at my next meeting.

Social
Still trying to work out how I can fit in a run in the evenings, maybe I will take my trainers to work and have a power walk around the park in my lunch break and invite Louise to join me.

Family
The kids have promised to make pizza for tea tonight – should be good.

Well-being
Now I’m out of the office in the fresh air I’m feeling a bit sorry for Graeme having to eat those plastic curries. Think I will leave a few healthy eating magazines around for him to be inspired by.

Hannah Fox is a character.  She is based on our years of experience working for a national mental health charity supporting people facing stress in the workplace.  

The names and characters are not based on any one person and all similarities are purely incidental.

However, hopefully we can all see a little bit of ourselves in Hannah.

Point to Ponder:
What is your workplace nightmare?

Midweek Motivation - 29th April 2015