Stop Talking about Work/Life Balance

Leaders in a post-pandemic VUCA workplace, characterized by heightened Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity, have concerns about not only attracting top talent, but retaining them. This isn’t about any Great Resignation, but rather about being able to use what we learned about our relationships to work to create flexible, adaptable skills for change.

What strategies do we need to implement or foster to enhance employee’s work/life balance so that they stay the course?

Change the narrative and stop calling it work/life balance.

First, let’s change the narrative and stop calling it work/life balance. There is no such thing. Help people understand they have one full life that will feel more enjoyable and sustainable if it’s integrated. The whole person should be invited into the workplace, which doesn’t mean we lose our focus on work in favor of personal pursuits and issues, but rather that we are able to understand that flexibility, creativity and resilience are what we need to learn and curate.

Leaders must model this integration. Having healthy, yet flexible boundaries is a good idea. Whatever you do, they will consider the norm and the expected behavior: if you never take a vacation, time off for your daughter’s dance recital, eat away from your desk, or have a tech-free weekend, you’re not demonstrating a healthy approach to life and work.

Look at ways to be even more flexible, while still meeting goals. It’s no longer true that “we can’t work from home,” but that doesn’t mean we all should. What is the most flexible way that we can accomplish our goals? What’s required in terms of collaboration? How can we get clear on the outcomes we want and offer our teams the flexibility to figure out how to get there?

Finally, what resources and opportunities do we have that we can share for personal development and well-being? Many workers don’t take advantage of the resources their organizations offer that will enhance their well-being because they don’t have a boss or supervisor who does. Sometimes, you need to take a contrarian approach to what you think will support someone’s high performance, engagement, and commitment.