Coffee Anyone?
March 16th, 2009 | by admin
Answer our Coffee Clatch Question of the Week and you might just get a free cup of joe on us.
Work/Life Balance or Workplace Flexibility or Other?
Our president has her opinions on this topic, of course, but you don’t have to agree. We like a lively discussion.
You can answer here, or on our facebook page or on twitter by sending a message to @leanneclc.
One participant will be chosen at random to win a coffee gift card for Starbucks, or Dunkin’ Donuts or your favorite coffee place provided it sells giftcards online or over the phone.
Enjoy the coffee and the conversation!
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Thank you all for the great discussion on this topic. The varied answers show we really have a lot more talking to do on this subject. Also, congratulations to Stephanie R. for winning a Starbucks coffee card on us! We look forward to many more of these great disucssions.
10 Comments
Leanne -
I think you need workplace flexibility to juggle work and life. To me, balance implies some sort of equilibrium and equal attention. There is too much chaos in my life to use the term equilibrium. Plus, hours at work and commuting to work exceed the waking hours with the family during the week.
You need the flexibility during the most chaotic times. For me that means snow days and sick days. That is when you really value remote access and not having to be in the office form 9 to 5.
Today’s twitter responses:
MizFitOnline: @joannesardini @leanneclc Im striving for work/life HARMONY. 4 me that means all thgs working in tandem. balance? elusive rt now
JoanneSardini: @leanneclc Trying to balance, but finding flex schedule helps tons! Somedays I feel balanced, others out of whack – I’ll keep trying!
Today’s facebook responses:
Stephanie R: I think work is a part of life, and life needs balance. The balance is not just between home and the office, it’s about trying to balance all aspects of life: work, family, self, community, learning, playing, faith, environment, mental, physical, etc. So, I guess I like the word “balance” but not the expression “work/life balance”. It’s simply “… Read Morelife balance” and work is just one of many pieces. Too bad you can’t steal the “Life is Good” slogan – “Do what you love, love what you do”. That’s the ideal, if you ask me.
Hi,
I’ve been pondering this question for nearly ten years and I think it’s about work life integration. The term hasn’t been used too frequently – but i think that’s the most concrete way to put it. The living and working experiences have merged due to three dominant themes as I see it.
First, the desperate need to hold onto a job creates a need to work more leading to burnout. How do we juggle that? Then Boomer retirement – it;s more like having to rewire since 401-K’s went out the window. Again – working more hours to make that transition into entrepreneurship ,and finally – social capitalism or values driven careers. Some are looking for a higher purpose and meaning in their work. Thus having to make a living and spending many hours devoted to a new career that gives back in some way.
Simply – I think we’re living in a WorkLife Nation. No matter what you call it – there’s a think line between the worlds.
I think what we all need is a flexible work place so we can accomplish our own life balance. Everyone’s life is a little different, the balance is never quite 50/50, sometimes you are needed more at work or more at home. But your career should give you the flexibility to make that happen and be efficient and productive to both your home and work, whatever the ratio for that day is.
Today’s Twitter response:
FlexPaths@leanneclc: FlexPaths votes for Work/Life Effectiveness (however it works for the individual), as opposed to balance.
Cali Williams Yost calls it Work Life Fit and Judy Martin is right, we live in a Work Life Nation.
Bottom line, whatever it’s called, if you want to advance the topic, speak in your audience’s words. I can’t imagine the average worker walks around thinking, hhmmmm how can I have more work life effectiveness.
And, of course, let’s hope companies stop thinking of it as a program, and instead as a strategy…a model…a way of doing things…a way of life and a way of work.
I don’t like “work-life balance” because, frankly, work belongs to life and striking a balance between two things suggests that they can be separated, which, in this case, they cannot. I think Judy Martin’s emphasis on “work-life integration” is headed in the right direction, though it still maintains this separation.
“Workplace flexibility” seems to be too limited in terms of what you’re trying to do here: namely, explore the connection between our working lives (our careers) and our personal lives (friends, families, interests, etc.)
For this reason, I most appreciate Stephanie R’s point that what we’re really after is a balanced life. It’s not about work, on the one hand, and everything else on the other, it’s about seeing the totality of activities, interests, and obligations that make up our lives and striving to create balance between them.
Since that doesn’t really answer the question though, let me throw this out as an other option: “mindful careerism,” defined as, “striving for a holistic approach to life that does not divide it artificially into conflicting components but seeks to integrate our wishes, passions, and interests with the material needs, physical limitations, and personal responsibilities we all must inevitably bear.”
Can you tell I went to grad school?
Hello,
I’ve heard that WorkLife Effectiveness is making its self known as well (Catalyst is using this term) but I digress. I like Matthew’s POV.
To Matthew’s academic point (please refer to above discourse) I do like the term, “mindful careerism,” although it might be too esoteric for the masses, (sans moi).
I think we should start tweeting this term up, as what he speaks of is what many are striving for in what I term our WorkLife Nation. Might seem shamelessly self-indulgent (using my term) but I truly believe that the living and working experiences have merged or blurred – calling upon us to integrate all that we are as human beings.
I believe that we’re being called upon to go deeper into self-discovery, toward a new way of working with passion and purpose.
Great conversation! I dislike the term work/life balance because as many of you stated before, balance implies a state of equilibrium or equality, and who really wants equal parts work and life?
The term I like to use is work-life fluidity – freedom to effortlessly move between work and life as you see fit. It’s the flexibility to adjust and adapt your schedule to integrate all the activities you have going on in your life.
Like Judy said, there’s a thin line between work and life now and there’s no reason to keep rigid boundaries between the two worlds. For me, being able to move back and forth freely is more important than striking a balance.
I think “blend” is a better word than balance because it more accurately reflects our desire to fit the different parts of our lives together rather than treat them as separate pieces. I think of my life as a “mash-up” – many different interests, commitments, etc. that alternate in terms of priority.