How can you coach a high-level professional in maintaining work-life harmony during intense projects?

This question has an agenda, it's best to find out what harmony means for the client, how do they define it? What's important here is that the coachee understands who they are holistically, completely, and find ways to honour their full self at every engagement.

There's an inherent flaw in this topic, one that may instantly turn off an executive, and that flaw is that there needs to be a balance between work priorities and personal priorities. There are just priorities and the things that are necessary to meet them. If you have a sick family member, you might need the income to care for them. If you have weeks of intense negotiations ahead of you, scheduling time to connect with family and recharge emotionally is crucial to work performance. I prefer to approach the question holistically and help the person I'm talking to understand how their choices and activities contribute to each other while ruthlessly cutting any unnecessary "noise" that drains them when they need to deliver.

Priorities change over time so while priorities are generally clear, people do not think about shifting priorities. In an intense project, priorities will go up and down. The professional will find it hard to create a work life balance so should get mentally prepared for an imbalance. Then work towards making the best of the shifting priorities to make the best use of time available for personal time and goals.

Work with your client to establish clear boundaries between work and personal time. Encourage them to communicate these boundaries with their team and stakeholders. This might include setting specific work hours, creating “no-work” zones, or designating times for personal activities. From my coaching practice, I’ve found that clear boundaries help reduce stress and create a more manageable work-life integration.

"Smarter, not harder" is an important concept when it comes to delivering extraordinary performance, and I've often coached leaders who have hit a wall in terms of the personal and professional capacity that they cannot do "more," so they must do "different." The key isn't boundaries, it's communication. There should be a conversation with people at work about what is required to deliver the desired outcome, which may include more resources, time to rest, or other deviations from the norm. Similarly, it's important to have that conversation with family and friends. Nothing will break you faster than trying to sustain performance across all priorities only to have someone, at work or at home, pile an unexpected weight on your shoulders.

El establecimiento de límites es clave para cualquier tipo de relación, ya sea laboral o personal. El orden de prioridades nos puede ayudar a establecer nuestras propias leyes y permitirnos actuar según las necesidades que de no cumplirlas podrían volverse un gran problema, estancando los procesos y alterando el orden de los equipos, desorganizando en su totalidad los esquemas de trabajo.La claridad de los límites que se definen de manera central en acciones que nos llevarán a concretar nuestro propósito de mejorar en las distintas áreas de la vida, requiere de un conocimiento profundo de cada uno de los roles, sus alcances, objetivos, grupos de interés en los que influye, tiempos de trabajo,espacios físicos y las competencias requeridas.

Intense projects will have intense demands on one's time from the perspective of actual work as well as other people requiring support. Don't become the centre of the support system in the project. Identify multiple support pillars and delegate support to all of them. This should free up some of the time to devote to the more critical challenges

As I have before, I'll caveat that the goal isn't to free time for rest and leisure, it's to get whatever you need to be able to perform at work or at home. In terms of time management, the first thing I look at is how work is batched. It's fine to multitask and jump between projects in normal periods, but when there is a very important objective to be met that will genuinely change your business's future, or your career, or your family's future, or something equally important, the first thing to do is to block out almost everything else. Schedule most of your time around the priority, and finish it (it will always take more time than expected). Then you can transition back to a more normal routine.

I would first help them to understand the role stress plays in their mental clarity, which is ultimately important for them to be creative, innovative, communicative, motivating for their teams - especially during intense projects. Then we would partner to explore the ways this particular executive would be motivated to practice something that allows them to tap into their parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) everyday. We’d build a habit and look at results over a specific timeframe. Small daily practices yield habits and much more significant, business-relevant results than many thing!

Start by helping them recognize the signs of stress and its impact on their work and personal lives. Introduce stress-reduction practices such as mindfulness, deep-breathing exercises, and regular physical activity, encouraging them to integrate these into their daily routine. Assist them in setting realistic boundaries and priorities, ensuring they allocate time for relaxation and personal activities despite their busy schedule. Promote time management tools to organize tasks efficiently and prevent burnout. Encourage open communication with their team and family to foster a supportive environment. By focusing on these stress management strategies, you can help them navigate intense projects while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

I equip my clients with tools and techniques to manage stress effectively, such as mindfulness, exercise, or relaxation practices. I also encourage them to identify stress triggers and develop coping strategies. In my experience, professionals who actively manage their stress are better equipped to handle the demands of intense projects while preserving their well-being.

Intense projects will bring in a lot of stress so one needs to figure out several strategies that work towards battling stress. And of course, prevention is better than cure. so put in efforts to reduce and eliminate stress at source.

Guide them in clearly articulating their workload and boundaries to their team and family, ensuring everyone understands their commitments and availability. Encourage regular, transparent updates with stakeholders to manage expectations and prevent misunderstandings. Teach them to delegate tasks effectively by communicating trust and clear instructions to their team, which can reduce their workload. Promote the practice of active listening to better understand the needs and concerns of those around them, fostering a supportive environment. By honing their communication skills, they can navigate intense projects more smoothly while preserving their work-life balance.

I coach my clients on communicating effectively with their team and stakeholders to manage expectations and delegate tasks appropriately. Clear communication helps in avoiding misunderstandings and ensures that their workload is manageable.

I remind my clients that maintaining work-life harmony is an ongoing process. Encourage them to seek feedback from their support network and be open to continuous improvement. It’s also important to prioritize self-care and ensure that personal well-being is not overlooked when pursuing professional goals. Building resilience and maintaining a long-term perspective is key to achieving and sustaining work-life harmony.

The project is intense. Not just for the professional we are working with but for the whole team. I would advice the professional to help ligten the intensity, create a safe environment to work, even bring in some moments of laughter and celebration of the milestones in the project. As the team bonds, the intensity of the project can be dealt with together.