"Work/Life Balance" is a Flawed Concept

Here is the problem I have with "work/life balance."

It's not the idea - I'm a strong advocate for all workers having a strong balance of time spent being a professional and personal time outside of the workplace. 

The problem is with the name.

"Work/life balance" would tend to lead one toward the conclusion that "work" and "life" are at opposite ends of the spectrum;    that time spent at work really is not part of life and conversely, life should be devoid of work.    Both of these are falsehoods that should not be perpetrated.

Do we really want to believe that the time we spend at work, 8 hours. . .10 hours. . .12 hours or more, is not part of our lives?  Do we really believe that once we leave the workplace . . . that we don't have work?

No.

By contrasting "work" and "life" my fear is that we provide both employees and employers alike with an excuse to not be at our best in the workplace, because "after all, it's only work, it's not life." Employers  have the duty to provide employees with workplaces, challenges and leadership that are enhancements to life, not only in terms of providing compensation but in providing purpose and satisfaction in work.    Employees should fully understand, and embrace their responsibility of bringing their best to work to contribute to the overall good of the community.

If you separate work and life. . both become devoid of purpose.

When I hear statements akin to "Now that I've retired, life can really begin," I think how sad it must be for that individual to believe that life only begins once one's professional career has ended.

As part of supporting our workplaces and our employees, let's give voice to the idea that we have mutual responsibility to create workplaces that can be an integral part of life. . .and that includes proper respite from the workplace which should be differentiated as "professional vs. personal time."

Life is short enough: we shouldn't shorten it further by claiming that time spent at the workplace doesn't really count;    work is too important that we shouldn't sell it short by claiming that it doesn't integrate with life.

My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available for e-readers, PCs and tablets on Amazon Kindle.

"Everything and the Kitchen Sink" Management

The commonly used phraseology "everything but the kitchen sink" is inadequate for how some managers lead because they try to throw everything AND the kitchen sink at whatever initiative they are tackling.

We've all seen this.  Management lacks a distinct point of view; in lieu, they attempt every tactic known to man.   The reasoning goes something like this. . ."Well, it doesn't hurt to try. . ."

Listen, I'm as big of a believer as anyone in trial and experimentation.   I'm also a believer in a strategy that is reflective of a point of view.   So, when I hear someone say, in defense of doing a whole bunch of things without rhyme or reason, "Well, it doesn't hurt to try. . ." I have to reply that yes. . .yes it does.

Lacking strategy is lacking direction. . .and that is demoralizing.   It's rudderless.    The team becomes keenly aware that they are merely floating from one idea to the next.

It's a waste  of time;  while the kitchen sink manager is meandering from one idea to the next. . .the manager with strategy is executing, correcting direction and getting further ahead.

And then there is the issue of money.    The start-up of each new idea costs money. . .and when one is idea surfing, the return on the start-up investment is nil.

Finally, let's talk about being the  "master of none.".  A team cannot be expected to be expert when they are constantly juggling a series of new ideas.   Failure of leaders to edit action points (or more egregiously, keep piling  tactic upon tactic) is a key reason why teams fail to become skillful at what they are doing.

What's better?    Focus on the few, important ideas that will grow and sustain the business - the team can then become knowledgeable, skillful and accomplished on these tactics. . .and in the process, achieve their goals.  Seriously, if you're trying to do everything and the kitchen sink. . there isn't room for the team to grow. . .or to have success.

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My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available for e-readers, PCs and tablets from Amazon Kindle.

How Does One Review Good Management?

One of our very valued team members once observed to me that she thought it wasn't exactly fair that 10% of the annual review was dedicated to "management practices" but that 50% of her time was actually dedicated to being a manager.

While I tried to justify that other, quantifiable components of her review were, in fact, a measurement of good management, I've come to the conclusion that she was more right than I.

Let's face it, one can get maximum review points for being under budget, but still be a horrible person.   It is possible to bring a project to successful completion (short term) and invest a minimum of care in one's team.

On annual reviews, informal conversations and succession planning - how do we evaluate good leadership?   Here are a few suggestions:

As much of a fan as I am of quantifiable results and deltas, let us also be comfortable with making quality judgments on an individual's leadership characteristics.   Not everything can be stated in numbers.

Let's evaluate and reward our leaders for time that they spend with their teams.  

We all recognize that communication is key to success, and like time spent with teams, this is observable.    Reward managers for strong communication skills that build professionals and advance team members.

The ability to delegate, compromise, negotiate and coach are all signs of strong managers - let's reward those.

Genuine care and concern for the work team - often we seem to be afraid to acknowledge these great qualities, but we shouldn't.   Let's be human

One of  the best ways to grow strong leadership - is to recognize and reward strong leadership.

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My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle

Staying Relevant in the Workplace

Steven Soderbergh, famed film director, inspired me this past week.

In an interview with Andrew Romano of The Daily Beast,  Soderbergh had this to say about the progression of his work.  "As I continue to work, and as I learn more, I have to keep looking for ways to be slightly outside of my comfort zone. So that’s what I’ll keep doing."

If any person could claim to have arrived - one of those people would be Soderbergh - and perhaps the reason for that is his humility and willingness to be outside of his comfort zone.

Many of us have occupied positions for a period of time long enough that we are comfortable with what we are doing.   There's nothing wrong with a little bit of comfort - a feeling of well-earned accomplishment - as long as it is accompanied with a realization that to stay relevant - we all need to find ways to be slightly outside of our comfort zones.

And we should coach and encourage our teams to be slightly out of their comfort zones.

It is the path on which we and our teams can continue to grow.   It is the way that we can get that gut-level feel of achievement.    This is the key to move the business, the team and ourselves forward.

Looking closely at Soderbergh's statement - don't miss the last sentence, "So that's what I'll keep doing."   Stepping outside of our comfort zones should not be just a one-time occurrence - it should be a commitment that we keep for our lifetimes.

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My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders," is available for e-readers, PCs and tablets from Amazon Kindle.