Achieving the Worklife Balance - It Is More Than Good Time Management.
Achieving the Worklife Balance - It Is More Than Good Time Management.
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.
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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.
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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