What do you do if your organization's culture neglects work-life balance?

I look inward first. Is the lack of work life balance a result of my company culture or my own expectations of myself? Am I pressuring my peers to do the same unintentionally by leading by poor example? Could be a combination of both— so I step back, evaluate the situation, create healthy boundaries that accommodate both and work towards continuous improvement toward finding a harmonious balance.

As a Project manager and a key contributor for project success and organization growth you have to deal with such a challenge which affects you, your org, project team and other stakeholders all at once What to do to handle it? - Assess cultural fit needs like work hours and rigid processes - Be wise and procative in setting the right approach that align with your org. Strategy and project goals - Communicate the -ve impact to your management of not having this balance on productivity and mental health - Find proper solutions to have such a balance and being a motivating factor for applying this needed change - Remember, having this balance will increse employee loyalty, retention, productivity, and embrace strong relations Good Luck

I have a policy of work to live not live to work (although it sometimes feels like I’m not necessarily drinking my own medicine!) I encourage staff to book in holidays and activities outside of work and when requests come in for time off or Holiday, no matter how short notice they may be I will always accommodate. After all going to work to earn money is so you can do the nice things you want to do in life right? We also make sure we do plenty of social activities outside of work with our team and encourage everyone to try and avoid talking shop when doing so (Not always possible for those who are passionate about the projects they are working on!) Still the message from us is clear that we value the work-life balance for them all.

Encouraging open communication about work-life balance is crucial for several reasons. It allows employees to voice their concerns, stressors, and challenges, fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment. By creating a safe space where team members can express themselves without fear of reprisal, organizations can identify potential issues early and proactively address them. This helps prevent burnout, improve employee morale, and increase retention rates. Additionally, open communication promotes transparency and trust between employees and management, leading to stronger relationships and a more cohesive team.

One thing I’ve found useful is to have more frequent casual chats with teammates and managers on their work-life schedule and what are the key task / project pain points that keeps them in office. By sharing my own pain points, it invites dialogue from peers too. And ultimately raising common team challenges to managers brings more focus and attention to the issue.

A lack of appreciation and recognition of employees leads to a decline in work motivation and performance. That's why it's important for the company's success that managers communicate with their employees on an equal eye level and take their needs seriously.

I am all too familiar with this type of work culture, and I have learned to take matters into my own hands when I encounter it. While I cannot change the behaviors of the leadership team ignoring this issue, I can control how I respond to it. First, I've been open and communicative (professionally, of course) to my company about the concern and continue to be where possible. Second, I have had to implement boundaries with my company (i.e. declining "extra-curricular" meetings/activities that are not critical to my client work that put me over 40 hours/week). Third, I carefully schedule my work days to allow for maximum work output while also allowing for self-care. I encourage my colleagues and project team to adopt a similar approach.

Its a very tricky situation as work is getting hectic and companies are very demanding! But its vital to maintain your own peace of mind and calmness and deal with this work life imbalance. Set Clear Boundaries: Communicate your availability and non-negotiable personal time to colleagues and managers. Prioritize Tasks: Focus on high-priority assignments during work hours to avoid overload. Manage Time Effectively: Use techniques like time-blocking to stay productive. Delegate and Collaborate: Share tasks with colleagues to distribute workload evenly. Protect Personal Time: Disconnect from work emails & messages during non working hrs Seek Support: Build an understanding network of colleagues & friends

Boundaries are imperative and they can be pretty simple to implement. If you struggle with setting them, start asking questions (and waiting for an answer). Like, “Ok. Would you like that done after hours tonight or can I start it tomorrow morning?” Like, “Hm. I don’t have the bandwidth for that at the moment unless you’d like me to deprioritize this other project. Which would you like done first?” Or yet another, “Sure! I can take care of that tonight. Is it ok if I make up for that time by leaving early Friday afternoon?” The point is that you [probably] were not sitting around waiting for something to do and it will have an impact on something and it’s fair to talk about that and force all involved to consider it.

If my organization neglects work-life balance, I set boundaries by establishing clear expectations for work hours and availability. Through assertive communication with both my team and superiors, I emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between work and personal life, ensuring that everyone respects and adheres to these boundaries for improved well-being and productivity.

It takes one or two people to respect other's boundaries around work life balance and it can start a change in the company's culture. If Managers and Supervisors encourage their staff to set boundaries and they themselves adhere to them, it starts to build a culture where it is ok not to respond to emails after office hours. I do not respond to staff's emails outside of office hours, so that they do not feel obligated to have to be on call 24/7. I often use delayed messages so emails are delivered during working hours. I let staff know that they shouldn't contact me outside of work hours unless it's an emergency. If I receive calls that are not emergencies I defer them. It's about helping others to respect your boundaries and their own.

In my experience, having flexible working hours really helps balance work and personal life for everyone, which is great for both the employees and the organization. It means people can work longer when they need to for important stuff and take it easy on regular days. Overall, it makes work life more flexible and fair.

Having Flexible Solutions really works. Flexible work arrangements promote work-life balance by allowing employees to better manage their personal commitments. This can lead to increased job satisfaction, lower stress levels, and higher retention rates. Moreover, offering flexibility can attract top talent and improve employee morale. When employees feel trusted and empowered to manage their own schedules, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated in their work. This, in turn, can boost productivity and creativity within the team. However, flexible work arrangements requires careful planning and communication.

I will agree that work life balance has definitely changed since the pandemic. It’s easy to work later or start earlier and work an extra long day. I think proposing ideas to management is beneficial versus them perhaps coming up with suggestions that may not be what you’re looking for. As already mentioned, hybrid or remote work, flexible work hours (signature line stating your day may look different is an easy fix), implementing policies that encourage time off and self care. For our neurodiverse colleagues, these are crucial. But in essence, the individual needs to take control of their own work life balance. Set boundaries. Prioritize work. Delegate tasks.

The thing i have found most helpful in this scenario is to create backup resources. Having a backup for your own self to handle most critical scenarios without your intervention and delegation of authority is the key. It will definitely not be a 100%, but it will surely give you a much needed breather when you need. Also it creates motivation and team work culture. But the most important part here also is not not overburden anyone, be helpful and support your backups too when needed.

Senior leadership in every organization seldom truly understands the impact they have on those under them. If you work an hour late, those under you feel compelled to work an hour late, and those under them, and so on. Obviously, there are extenuating circumstances for fire drills or go-lives, but the echo effects from management always have incredibly far reaching impacts. Even things as innocuous as a text message or email can stretch work hours and anxieties in ways executives are often not aware of.

Clocking out isn't a sign of weakness, it's a love letter to your life outside the office. Respect your time off. It's not a luxury, it's the fuel that keeps your passion for work burning bright!

The importance of being a leader who leads by example cannot be overstated. When your team sees you setting boundaries, such as not sending emails outside of working hours or respecting personal commitments, they feel empowered to do the same, fostering a healthier and more balanced culture.

Encourage colleagues to prioritize their well-being and set boundaries around work hours and tasks. Additionally, you show them how to do it be doing exactly what you say.

In my opinion it's all about managing the time, the organisations are not bad usually, it's your time management most of the time that disturbs your work life balance, if you are doing your due diligence and making sure that you are commiting to work of the day that can be done on your shifts time bracket you are fine. However if your manager/boss often assigning tasks at the 11th hour and expecting to be completed today itself, that needs to be sorted by opening up with your manager and discuss the problem.

- Voicing concerns at company townhalls, team meetings can help gain visibility - Back it up with research tying productivity and work life balance - Unfortunately, if that doesn't help then moving on might be in your best interest

It may also be helpful to provide your team with resources for better time management. This may include a workshop on how to foster an open communication culture where everyone can talk about their workload freely and being able to say no to additional tasks without a negative impact on their career. Educating your team about timeboxing as an effective time management technique may also help to reduce workload by prioritizing and realistically assessing the time needed to perform certain tasks. The most important aspect, however, is that whichever measure you take is widely accepted and implemented.

Creating a culture of work-life balance requires a comprehensive and intentional approach. By implementing strategies such as prioritizing communication and flexibility, promoting time management, fostering a positive organizational culture, encouraging breaks and vacations, and providing growth opportunities, organizations can cultivate an environment that values and supports employees' well-being. Remember, achieving a work-life balance is an ongoing journey, and organizations should regularly assess and adapt their practices to meet the evolving needs of their workforce. By prioritizing work-life balance, organizations can attract and retain top talent while fostering a healthier, more engaged, and productive workforce.

Advocate change is must under current VUCA environment. Corporate leads must always keep a mindset of change; they should provide the driving forces for employees to embrace change. In the past, I have assisted an automobile dealer in implementing innovative management projects. It is essential for top-level management to drive and foster a sense of urgency for embracing change.

As an advocate for change you need to know your audience and have the ability to open well structured and evidence based discussions around the commercial value and benefits that work-life balance can offer in terms of attracting and retaining great talent. Most organisations will be concerned that work/life balance could negatively impact productivity, however the reality is that it should maintain productivity or improve it if done right. So start with a small project to prove the benefit. There is a bigger question here also around trust and hiring people with the right behaviours but always remember that flexibility is a two way street so if your company offers you some flexibility then it is only right you offer your company the same.

I have a couple of thoughts on this. Our CEO says it best in my opinion, "your job is to take care of the company, it is the company's job to take care of you". This is a mutual respect, that must be adhered to by both parties. Also, I carry a quote on the back of my phone, it says: "Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next." Ultimately, I think where people struggle is being where their feet are currently.

It’s my responsibility. As far as I should know, this one comes back on me! It would be nice if organizations culture would consider and support this. But who guarantees that under market conditions?! Let’s be practical: make it clear about you. A person that m pours it on during working hours. Available, supportive, and professional. After that, a totally different person who lives a different life in another planet. These two worlds must be irrelevant to each other.

-Promote Work-Life Balance Initiatives: Advocate for initiatives within your organization that promote work-life balance, such as wellness programs, mental health resources, or mindfulness training. -Lead by Example: Demonstrate healthy work-life balance habits and encourage your team members to prioritize their well-being. Celebrate achievements and successes without glorifying overwork or burnout.

?If you want to fill your company with frustrated workaholic people that needs to work 24/7h to skip their personal life instead of working on their mental health and share time with their love ones, so this culture is amazing for them ??. ??Act as an example and set boundaries for you and your employees, so they can feel supported with a leader that priorities people over processes, Inspiration over frustration and balanced environment over burned out employees. We want to be around of people that enjoys life and deliver amazing results and not around of broken people. Promote that and take care of your people.

Sometimes you also just need to know when you are pushing an elephant uphill. Some companies just wont change/bend and so you have to consider whether that is a deal breaker or not. If it is then your only option would be to move. Just make sure any move meets your needs and the work/life balance is documented in the job description, email or contract before you resign/leave your current role. Finally just remember that everyone has their own personal view of what work/life balance means. Make sure you define it for you but also how that works for the client too (their definition). This is a two way relationship of work/life balance so everything on your own terms is unrealistic and unlikely to happen.