From a recent Tipoffs article by Mick Hides…
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”.
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.
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.
Mick Hides is a Consultant for Arras People.
