As requested by the school principal, I left a pile of work life balance surveys with the school receptionist. Glancing briefly at the surveys she returned gaze above the rim of her glasses. “So is work life balance really attainable?” she asked with more than a hint of cynicism in her voice.
“ I suppose it depends what your definition of work life balance is. Do you think work life balance is attainable?” I asked.
“No I don't believe in work life balance,” she declared defiantly.
“So you don't believe that your present work, financial situation, family and social relationships or your level of health is sustainable?” I replied. She fidgeted uncomfortably in an awkward silence.
“You see work life balance is simply a measure of how sustainable your current lifestyle and business practices are.”
A healthy work life balance is a lifestyle where your habits and actions result in the sustainable growth and development of your health, wealth, business/career, family relationships, social relationships and fulfilment and enjoyment of your life. When your habits and actions at work or at home do not have a work life balance then something in your life will give and breakdown.
You only have to look at the events and circumstances behind the current global financial crisis as proof of this breakdown. It is simply the inevitable result of years of people spending more than they earned and continue to borrow more than they could repay. Only recently are people paying attention to the cries of the environmental movement and finally starting to realise that the continual pollution of the planet is not sustainable.
During these times of unprecedented economic turmoil the pressure on businesses to survive is immense. The real question to ask is how sustainable is your business? Or another way of saying it is, “Does your business/work environment have a healthy work life balance?”
When I walk into a business to assess its sustainability and healthy work life balance there are two indicators that I look for that gives me a pretty accurate picture insight into the future prospects of the business:
Sustainability Indicator No. 1
The employees are healthy, fit and active
Healthy employees who are in shape will have the physical capacity to work harder without their health being compromised. A sustainable business will also want to sustain the level of health and wellbeing of their employees by providing a healthy working environment. Running your employees into the ground and turning them into sleep deprived coffee addicts for the sake of the company is obviously not sustainable.
Sustainability Indicator No.2
The employees are happy
Happiness within a business reflects a united sense of purpose, good communication and good leadership. Happiness is often an indicator of good family and social relationships. Most importantly happiness is contagious within a business. During times when the evening news is full of stories of gloom and despair, do not underestimate the massive marketing power of dealing with a business with a genuinely happy atmosphere.
During these challenging times for business it is important to realise that the real long term health of your business doesn't only depend upon a sound business model but it also lies in the physical and emotional wellbeing of its employees to carry it out.
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Date Published :
Feb 11 2009