Work-Life Balance
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D.

After speaking at a conference on the East Coast, I was approached by an executive who handed me his business card as an introduction. I was startled when he abruptly snatched it back. He explained that he wanted to cross out the word senior in front of his vice-president title. He went on to tell me that he was only temporarily acting in the senior position and that, as soon as possible, he wanted to return to his old job. He said that five years earlier his ambition had been the presidency of the company, but not anymore: "Being a vice president suits me just fine. I'm good at it, and I could do it in my sleep. I don't need the added pressure of a higher position. Besides, I've got a family and a couple of interesting hobbies. This gives me time to play."

Just the week before, an audience member had shown me a drawing he'd sketched of his career objectives. His goal was to become the head of corporate communications for his present employer - an international firm that had already identified him as a "high potential" candidate. But the young man went on to say that he also wanted to live on the family ranch in Montana. While the company had been looking at ways this employee might commute home on weekends, he'd drawn a picture of himself working from the ranch and coming into an office only periodically.

Like many other talented professionals I've met and interviewed, these two were developing their own lifestyle formulas to compensate for the demands of the workplace. And while the strategies differ from person to person, they almost always reflects a desire for autonomy and freedom.

Especially noticeable in younger generations, employees are demanding more control of their time -- whether it involves organizationally structured arrangements such as flextime, flex-place, part-time or contractual work, or a corporate culture that stresses results over "face time." And enterprises that don't fully support and align with these initiatives will lose a competitive edge in retaining and motivating top talent.

Newer workers are not as likely to believe (as do some of their bosses) that the world begins and ends with the office or factory. I've heard this sentiment expressed in a variety of ways:
"I love my job, but it's not my whole life."
"If the company ever relocated, I wouldn't move. I like my lifestyle here too much."
"My parents weren't there for me when I was growing up. I will never let a job get between me and my family."

My anecdotal research was supported by a 2005 study in which the Society for Human Resource Management found women and workers younger than 35 saying that work-life balance is the most important component to their overall job satisfaction.

But don't think it's just women and Millennials who are looking for work-life balance. Although blending career and family life first came to corporate attention with the influx of female employees in the 1980s, companies soon began to find that so-called "female" issues actually jumped gender lines. One example is DuPont: Because more women were joining its ranks, the company's affirmative action committee decided to survey employees about their child-care needs. They found that childcare was not just a women's issue; it was a mainstream employment issue affecting both men and women. Those findings had significant implications for DuPont's ability to retain good staff; a subsequent study found that half of the women and a quarter of the men working at the company had considered moving to a company that offered more job flexibility.

Based on the results of this survey, DuPont executives began a process of developing "work-life programs" to help employees deal with issues such as childcare and elder care and to balance the demands of work and home. Fifteen years later, a survey of employees found that 52% of those who had taken advantage of the programs said they would "go the extra mile" for DuPont, compared to 36% of those who had not used the programs.

Beyond the U.S., balancing work and life is fast becoming a global business issue. A recent survey by Watson Wyatt found four out of five employees in the UK saying work-life balance considerations played a crucial role in deciding whether or not to stay with their current employer. And, by the way, most employees who were dissatisfied chose not to say anything, but simply to leave.

Some leaders are paying attention - and responding. Last year I worked with a company's senior management team. They were looking to center their organizational reengineering efforts on the key question: What gets in the way of your doing a great job and having a great life?

It wasn't an idle question. A 2005 ISR study of 50,000 workers found a clear link between good management practices, good work-life balance for employees, and an improved bottom line that included more satisfied customers and lower rates of absenteeism and safety incidents.

So ask your staff about their scheduling conflicts, and then involve them in co-creating timetables and deadlines. Be as understanding and supportive as you can when your workers have major personal issues. Find creative ways to help employees balance the work-life seesaw - and watch the positive effects on retention, customer loyalty, and profits!

Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. speaks on leadership, change, and creative collaboration to association, government, and business audiences around the world. She can be reached by phone: 510-526-1727, email: CGoman@CKG.com, or through her website: www.CKG.com.