A fine example of real work-life balance

 

Over the course of my career, I have often come across people lamenting the impact that their work was having on their personal life, or the other way around.  The answer, to many, has been to pursue a better “work life balance”.

In fact, this concept has become so popular that HR professionals, actually entire organisations have embraced it, making the work life balance of their employees a symbol of how progressive and people oriented their organisational culture is.

My view on work life balance? Bullshit, just a very first level attempt of addressing an issue by creating another one.

I have several issues with the notion of work-life balance.  By far the greatest concern is immediately visible on the semantic description of the concept itself: balance.  Balance presumes a trade-off, a dramatic alternative: I do one or the other.  For example “dear do not call me at work, I am busy” or “I switch off the phone in the evening and weekends”.  These solutions are naïve, incomplete and ineffective.  Now I realise that many people have jobs where this is not even an issue.  For most blue collar workers the schedule of work is rigid, however the responsibility over the job is over at the end of each shift.

So my remarks go for the majority of white collars and certainly all executives.  How can a real executive – I know a few – switch off their phone and just “don’t care”? Is that really a responsible attitude and honouring of the high salary and privileges that come with the role?  And also, who is so busy (or so disorganised I should say) that cannot find the time to call their child during work hours.

So forget this negative and primitive notion of work-life “balance”.

I propose instead Work-Life Integration.

What do I mean? I mean a conduct of behaviour where the professional and personal spheres are collaborating with each other, not antagonists.

For example, I would find it perfectly fine for an employee to take time off work one afternoon to attend a family or school event.  But I would find it equally reasonable that the same employee is regularly checking emails (ideally replying) also during the weekend.  Let’s have work and personal interact in harmony, not in hostility. I find from personal experience that this approach leads to much higher levels of productivity (especially when coupled with a culture of output rather than input at work) as well as personal gratification.

It couples well with the intent of intrapreneurship that is elusively pursued by many companies.

I have practiced it and defended it for years and whilst I appear to work more than most (simply because I am “always” available for a business chat) in reality I am probably simply more efficient and spend more time at home than most.

Down with work life balance, let’s try I instead “Work Life Integration”.