Work life balance is a term that is gaining in prominence, and for once is a UK-inspired philosophy which was only adopted by the USA a decade or so later. The meaning of Work-life balance is different for everyone but in general addresses the "unhealthy life choices that many people were making; they were choosing to neglect other important area of their lives such as family, friends, and hobbies in favor of work-related chores and goals" [1]

This has been reduced to the more well-known tome: "working to live, not living to work".

The UK government formalised this thinking into 'flexible working', a phrase that describes any working pattern adapted to suit your needs. Common types of flexible working are:

• part-time: working less than the normal hours, perhaps by working fewer days per week
• flexi-time: choosing when to work (there's usually a core period during which you have to work)
• annualised hours: your hours are worked out over a year (often set shifts with you deciding when to work the other hours)
• compressed hours: working your agreed hours over fewer days
• staggered hours: different starting, break and finishing times for employees in the same workplace
• job sharing: sharing a job designed for one person with someone else
• home working: working from home

You can combine any of these working patterns to come up with something to suit your circumstances. [2]

The rights of employees to basic rights regarding work-life balance are enshrined in law across the European Union. Working time directives, paternity leave, parental rights, and caring for dependents have all become accepted cases for controlling work life balance. 

Employers are more aware today that a healthy and happy work force is more productive and more likely to continue producing for them. More money either in overtime, bonus or base salary is losing its appeal to many people who recognise that money isn't everything; perhaps that is why the public sector have a greater holiday allowance than anyone else. 

The reality for Project professionals is that they are constantly driven by deadlines and often tomorrow will not do. We have all worked on projects when the right thing to do is to work excessive hours. But how many of us have considered the alternatives. Why are we working such long hours? Is our plan unrealistic? Do we have sufficient resources? If you are not able to change any of these are you really empowered to manage the project?

One simple way to gain back control is working from home. Free from the constantly ringing telephone and other office related distractions, you can concentrate on the things that matter within your project. From personal experience, I know that I can achieve significantly more, than if I were in the office. If this is not appropriate, what about getting in slightly earlier and using the quiet time in the same way? I have recently caught up with a public sector manager who has a flexible working arrangement. He manages a portfolio of projects and has a high record of achievement. He has designed his day to start at 7am and he often ends up finishing by 3pm or 4pm, allowing him time for MBA self-study and quality family experiences each day. This may not work for everyone, though, and even he admits that occasionally longer days are required.

The truth is that as Project Managers, we are probably the best equipped professionals to design a work-life balance that is both productive for our employers and allows us to have a lifestyle outside of the office. The decision as to whether you make the changes is your choice. I was taught early on in my career about reasons and excuses. From the perspective of work-life balance, you need to determine whether there are reasons or excuses for you not making the right choice.

Maintaining a work/life balance is becoming increasingly difficult today with pressure from employers requiring more productivity for less money. This is an ever increasing trend throughout the UK with the pressure of looming outsourcing solutions becoming the norm across all sectors. However, this is not always the keyreason behind professionals working longer hours.

The Arras 2008 survey revealed an astounding level of resource issues affecting a healthy work/life balance; "I am working unhealthily long hours due to a lack of resources - no matter how many times I raise this (and projects have suffered - although not failed in the past) I have been unsuccessful at getting the right resource fully committed" - this type of complaint is echoed throughout the survey, which prompts the question: Who is actually managing the project? Lack of authority in managing resource allocation within projects is an increasing trend according to the survey.

Commuting is another bone of contention for professionals according to the survey - with comments such as: "Commuting does not leave any time for life during the week and am too tired at weekends". Often the location of our employers is not convenient to where we live - it would be easy to say "relocate or find a new role", but how feasible is this in reality? We have commitments such as children in schools, or a partner's work location to take into consideration, plus the obvious answer, "Why should I move - I like it where I am".

All of these factors would push us toward taking a role closer to home, which is not always an option - other comments by candidates from the survey are, such as; "I spend too much time commuting from my office. There is absolutely no reason why I cannot work where the action is using a laptop and mobile phone". I have to agree that at times it has been far more beneficial to work away from the office either at home or on site for a number of reasons such as: promoting a presence to the project teams, peace and quiet to be able to catch up on paperwork etc and of course more time to actually get on with the task in hand without adding unnecessary delays/interruptions.

The list of reasons why the work/life balance is not working is predominantly based around the two issues discussed. However, other factors have been recorded, all of which are available online at the Arras People website. Whilst our survey has highlighted a number of issues focused on a negative live to work vs. work to live experience for project professionals, we also have some success stories. In these instances the issues were addressed by the employers, resulting in better working hours and more flexibility for working remotely.

In essence, deprived "me time" can lead to health problems, poor or failing relationships and a lack of social life; all work and no play really does make Jack a dull boy. It is time to empower ourselves - take a hold of the situation and weigh up the pros and cons. Analysing your needs against your employers needs and making them aware of your situation may be all that is required to change to a happier, healthier and more productive you!

When talking about work/life balance amongst colleagues recently, we started thinking about the ultimate sacrifice we would have been willing to make in relation to our own project management careers. Miss the odd holiday (or not even book one for a few years), be prepared to travel 100 miles a day to get there, not be at home all week for a month or two maybe - all seemed perfectly acceptable - to us anyway!

Ultimately, what you're prepared to sacrifice comes down to your own individual circumstances, personality and attitudes to life. For some that will always mean taking it to the Gordon "Lunch is for wimps" Gekko-extremes.

For most of us, the idea of work/life balance will conjure up 'ideals', 'dreams', and maybe 'fantasies'. Realistically, however, the balance is often one of compromise. Having worked in the public sector, private sector and third sector, I've often moved between jobs due to the fact that my life ambitions have been difficult to realise with the roles I've fulfilled.

I remember my first trainee manager post, back in the days before mobiles and 24/7 access. It paid well and I could afford my hobby - playing in a rock band! Yet I found the commuting tiresome and the job dull, and decided to leave for something more local and linked to the music business. At my exit interview, I still recall the smirk on my manager's face when I stated that I was off to explore my 'artistic side'. The job came with less money but great opportunities to develop the band. For a while, the compromise was successful.Work was fun and the band started to do well. Then it hit. The band split, the work became more exacting, and I realised without my goal, work was, for the most part, pointless. That was until I met someone in a pub in 1987.

He was a Swede, staying in London with John McGeogh, then the guitarist for Siouxsie and the Banshees. We spent two days together, sampling the delights of Kent, and talking. And something happened over those two days that changed my life. We talked about my wants for work/life balance, satisfaction, happiness, and achievements. The Swede had a philosophy I'd never experienced. 'Learn to be happy with both', he said. Work out what truly inspires you, what fuels you, what drives you. Decide on your real goals, and why you want them, then 'F' them - that is, see if they fit your financial wants, your friends and families requirements, fortunes you have in mind (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual), fitness you desire, fun and freedoms you want, in fact any 'f' you can 'fink' of. And then the Swede said in his sage way, "learn to love what you do, whatever it is and maybe later you can do what you love."

From this, I decided what I really wanted to do was to learn and to teach. The two were mutually inclusive for me. Learning as it inspires me, teaching others as it rewards me. So I planned to go to university.  I learnt a great deal about a range of subjects, and more about me.I began teaching at a university, then a college, now as a private trainer. I've worked in many different businesses, supported people from all walks of life and managed to even marry something of my hobby, music, with my work teaching others song writing and performance skills.

Still to this day I continue to learn, and if I was drinking in London in the mid-1980s, you can take a guess at how old I am. Recently, I finished my NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner courses, and now I'm completing my MBA whilst working across the UK delivering training courses for a range of clients, and enjoying almost every minute. Almost I say, as I've also realised that there will be some issues, some problems, maybe even some people that no matter how hard you work at it, the compromise may be more in their favour than yours. If that is ever the case, walk away, don't waste energy, focus on your goals again, and find another way to get there. It's as important to know what you don't want, as well as truly believe in what it is you do want.

The compromise is healthy, the balance happy. So whatever it is you do, find ways of enjoying, if not loving, what it is you do. Even if it means changing your goals and changing your world to suit who you are and who you want to be, and not what others want you to become.

Wikipedia article that addresses Work-Life Balance can be found here.

A Direct.gov web page that addresses flexible working opportunities can be found here.