Home Features Mastermind Videos About Advertise Blog Network Contact
   

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

Featured Ebook


ebook Famous Entrepreneurs - Modern Empire Builders


Featured Ebook

More Evan Carmichael
Have A Suggestion?

Sales Lessons From Starbucks And Dell

Achieving the Worklife Balance - It Is More Than Good Time Management.



Achieving the Worklife Balance - It Is More Than Good Time Management.
   

The balance between work and family life is gaining more attention in Australia. Various articles are starting to appear and the media has picked it up as an issue to explore.

Unions have adopted the issue as a major campaign point and both employers and governments are responding.

Amongst full-time workers, the number of hours worked each week is being highlighted, particularly when significant numbers are working hours greater than the standard working week, which in Australia is a nominal 36-40 hours per week.

There are a number of developments having an impact on family lives:

Technology makes us more accessible. The wide spread use of mobile (cell) phones and email means that we can be contacted away from the office.

Globalisation means that the standard 9 to 5 (or 8 to 6) working day is extended to allow contact with people in different time zones. It also means that the distinction between weekdays and the "weekend" is blurred.

More and more people are "working from home", either on a full-time basis or as part of their normal working arrangements (Friday being popular).

Couples, if they have children, are having them later.

Child care arrangements and support have been significantly expanded in Australia.

Some of these developments support workers in achieving a good balance between work and family life. Other changes have the opposite effect.

As a father of five in a dual career family, I believe I can claim some experience in the subject.

I would never claim I ever developed the expertise to handle the situation fully or properly.

Four of my five sons have now reached adulthood, so I draw on extensive experience over a long time period to make the following observations:

There is always a compromise between working and family responsibilities. It may be occasional, it may be regular, but there will be a conflict between a work commitment and family commitment. You will be wanted in two different places at the same time. Your success as a parent and/or "worker" is dependant on how often you make the "right" choice.

Time scheduling and programming is critical. At one stage, my wife and I spent about an hour a week co-ordinating our diaries! A regular routine helps.

Time effective activities help. We were very thankful that our boys chose basketball as their major sport. Basketball is quick - you arrive five minutes before it starts, you play the game, you leave - all in about 50 minutes! With football and cricket, it was an all day commitment.

"Quality time" is good as a concept, but it does not beat "quantity time". For example, if your are not the one picking the child up from school, you miss the excitement of talking about the school day. Yes, you may talk about it later, but it is not the same.

On the other hand, "quantity time" is useless if you do not use it effectively. Your mind has to be where the children are. If you are driving them to school, there should be talking. A silence because you are thinking about your work day is not a good use of the precious time that you have.

Family time includes time with your children individually, together and as a whole family unit. It also includes "couple time".

My key message:

A successful family/work life is dependent on finding the right balance, making the right choices and ensuring that you have the flexibility, systems and support to achieve the goals that you have set. It takes teamwork, perseverance and a lot of effort.



Achieving the Worklife Balance - It Is More Than Good Time Management. - To learn more about this author, visit Derek Stockley's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends
[Get Copyright Permissions] E-Mail | Print | More  


Related Articles Related Articles
WorkLife Serenity: Cold Turkey Style
  Just imagine taking the time every day to just stop what you are doing at work and just listen and contemplate the rest of your day. Not the ordinary task of those of us snagged in the 24/7 working environment. But ...
WorkLife Flexibility Primer: Tips on Making it Happen
  We live in an era of ever-expanding technology. That allows entrepreneurs to change the scope of how, when and where they work. But this new found flexibility is not limited to those who work from home. Companies ar...
Step by Step
  Balance is a step by step process, changing as you and your life changes over time.
Life Balance What Is It
  You’ve probably heard the term "life balance”, and maybe you’ve had a nagging feeling about it... like that maybe it applies to you. Perhaps you suspect your life might be out of balance, but you don’t really know ...
Work-Life Quality and Balance
  Work-Life Quality and Balance is probably the greatest challenge most of us face today. We refer to "work-life" as the holistic view that work and personal responsibilities, in practice, cannot be conveniently separ...

Related Forum Posts Related Forum Posts
No B.S. Time Management No B.S. Time Management
Re: 7 Sure-Fire Time Management Tricks To Get More Done Re: 7 Sure-Fire Time Management Tricks To Get More Done
MLP Training Introduction MLP Training Introduction
Your Intial Mistakes Business Your Intial Mistakes Business
Books You Wish Had Been Written Books You Wish Had Been Written
Top 7 forum posts last month Top 7 forum posts last month
Re: MLP Training Introduction Re: MLP Training Introduction
Seek Venture Capital & Funding Seek Venture Capital & Funding

 
About the Author


Derek Stockley
(Visit Derek's Website)
Derek Stockley is a training, learning and performance consultant based in Melbourne, Australia. His website (www.dere kstockley.com.au) contains over 100 articles designed to help people and organisations do more. His consulting business covers public training programs and in-house assignments. Derek's main focus is improving performance, whether it be at the individual or organisational level. His current focus revolves around employee engagement.
Have A Suggestion?

View Author's Blog
Become An Author

View Author's Video
Become An Author

Free Downloads


Derek Stockley's

Complete
List Of
Human-Resources
Articles

First Name
Last Name
Email
 
If you enjoyed this article, get Derek Stockley's Complete List of Human-Resources Articles For FREE!
Become An Author