Work-Life Balance how much is too much

For 41 years, my operating principle was; ◦ work hard, play hard and spend some time

as a father.

I felt my life was perfectly balanced. It felt like it had everything in it, all in the right amounts.

Jack Welch

From a man thought of by many as the manager of the century

Work – activities done regularly for money

Life – everything else

Work-life balance" was coined to address the unhealthy life choices that many people were making; they were choosing to neglect other important areas of their lives such as family, friends, and hobbies in favor of work-related chores and goals

Work-Life balance - What is it all about?

Work-life balance (satisfaction level chart)

Name: Code

Period Work Life Total 100% > 75% > 50% < 50%

1 100%

2 100%

3 100%

4 100%

Total 400%

Average 100%

Satisfaction levelSplit as a %

Work-life balance (satisfaction level chart)

Name: Code A

Period Work Life Total 100% > 75% > 50% < 50%

1 60% 40% 100%

2 50% 50% 100%

3 75% 25% 100%

4 25% 75% 100%

Total 210% 190% 400%

Average 53% 48% 100%

Satisfaction levelSplit as a %

Shivram Prasad

But looking back, it is clear that the balance I chose had consequences for the people around me at home and at the office. For instance, my kids were raised , largely alone, by their mother, Carolyn.

My defense, if there is one, is that those were the times. Fathers were different then. In general, it was assumed that wives stayed at home to make everything run smoothly.

Jack Welch

% of children with a stay-at-home mother

But things are different now

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

19%

60%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%80%

24%

% of women working outside the home

Conflicts are natural because we are managing two full lives – life at work and life at home.

The result - Conflicts

Juggling activities

Striving for a perfect balance

Is it a 50-50 split?

Or is a 70-30 split?

Or is it a seesaw

Balance is elusive and difficult to maintain.

Compromises are constantly made, with the scales of balance shifting along with the occasional long workday or work assignment, family obligations, or any one of a number of life’s little surprises.

Getting it right is an iterative process.

You get better at it with experience and observation and eventually you will find it is not really hard.

It is just what and how you do things.

DO----LEARN----DO

Achieving work-life balance is a process

It is a choice to be made by every individual.

And good or bad he or she has to live with the results of those choices.

You reap as you sow

I wanted a career. And so I never had children. Maybe I would be able to do with children now. Still, 25 years ago, when I was entering broadcasting, it wasn’t possible to achieve the highest levels and raise babies along the way.

It was my choice. Of course I wanted children. But I chose to put my

career first, and I cannot blame anyone for my happiness or lack thereof.”

Let me tell you what I gave upMaxine of NBC

I hadn’t read the newspaper with a cup of coffee or played with the dog or called an old friend.

Every minute I was struggling with the logistics in order to meet everyones’s need but my own.

Technically, I was a good wife and mother and I was good at my job. Everyone else was OK, but I was miserable. I had to quit or I was going to collapse.

Today, she works from home. Her family has less money, she misses he old life as a professional.

But she feels she can breathe – and laugh.

I hadn’t had a good laugh in 15 years

When we feel fully satisfied with both our personal life and our career it can be said that we are balanced.

For most it is just a feeling

Some best practices

Compartmentalize

Courage to say “NO”

Don’t miss all the fun

So is it a problem that an organization should worry about?

STRESS at Work…extreme but not uncommon

The workplace has become the single greatest source of stress.

75% to 90% of physician visits are related to stress.◦ Coronary heart disease◦ Musculoskeletal illness◦ Psychological strain◦Absenteeism◦Workplace violence…

The cost to industry: $200 billion-$300 billion a year.

Maybe we should?

At work

Children are more likely today to come home to an empty house.

And then spend time with video games, television and the internet with little guidance to offset or control the messages coming from these sources.

At home

are we on the edge

or are we seeing the dawn of a new era

At ABC Inc employees can actually balance life and work. She views ABC Inc as an extended family and everybody at the company helps out.

It is not unusual to find her 9-year old daughter in the office doing homework or having an after school fireside chat with the founder.

When she is traveling, her daughter will call the office to ask for permission to play Nintendo. The receptionist knows the routine and asks: "Have you finished your homework? Have you had your snack? OK, you can play Nintendo for 1/2 an hour". She then leaves a voice message "I gave Tara permission to play Nintendo". Unheard of in most companies.

She finds time in her busy schedule to refine her skills on the guitar. She has two daughters. She lives with her husband in, Connecticut.

From a CEO who just took charge

All had work-life balanceAll are happy with their choices

Each of them is happy in their own individual way

Indra Nooyi

Jack Welch

Maxine

at peace