What do you do if your boss's expectations are overwhelming your work-life balance?

Work-Life balance can go a long way in ensuring ones well-being. For the Org it's positive impact is an engaged employee, better productivity etc. Hence it is imperative to stand for yourself and your loved ones to ensure you set expectations with your boss. Having said that, while at work (in person or virtual), showcasing utmost sincerity and delivering high quality work will not only benefit the org, but you will gain your bosses much needed trust and they will be sensitive towards your well-being. In the long run, it'll help you have their back. Do provide relevant and timely feedback as well on what's working well and can be improved to ensure the message is loud and clear.

When overwhelmed by your boss's expectations impacting work-life balance, first assess if these expectations reflect the company culture or your boss's personal standards. If it's the company culture, decide if it aligns with your values and life priorities and if you like for this company. If it's specific to your boss, prioritise understanding their perspective on work-life balance and following Stephen Covey's principle of seeking to understand before being understood. Gain insight into their work-life philosophy. This foundation allows for a meaningful conversation about your needs and finding a mutually beneficial way to meet them within your team and company's framework.

Take a moment to consider the situation and really question the expectations. Are they clear and have they been communicated directly to you, or have you interpreted them? What is it about the expectations that you feel are too demanding? Are they achievable, is it a workload issue, are they reasonable in terms of time, level, amount etc.? What discussion have you had with your boss about the situation so far? Are they aware of any conflicting work you already have and can they help you in identifying priorities. It's important that you feel you can communicate clearly to your boss about the situation so you are both aware of how you feel and the challenges the work is producing.

From what I have experienced, I would say that first is to make a step back and observe what is happening. This can be translated into a work break (days off, short holidays). Asking for a professional support will help you to assess, explore, identify and take actions. Executive coaching is a valuable professional support. Self-reflection as well as group reflections are also complementary supports. What specifically does it mean overwhelming for you? What do you know? What is unsaid? Which are your resources? Who can help you? These are few starting questions. The context will be brought up in 1:1 sessions, in a safe and confidential environment. Being committed to actions/decisions will help you to shape own way to face this challenge.

I've also found it helpful to be clear about what the balance means to you. Not everyone is the same. It is also very useful to deal with the behaviors of the leader and look to avoid assuming too much about their motivation.

#1. Speak to your boss. This needs to be done in a situation and setting when the boss is in readiness to listen. Prepare yourself well for this discussion and let the boss know how it is impacting you and your performance. #2. if the boss is reasonable, they will listen. But sometimes they are not. In this case look for the opportunity to move out. (Or pray for your boss to move out!?? ). In the meanwhile try to balance what you can. Learn to say no politely and firmly. #3. IF YOU DON'T TAKE OF YOURSELF NOONE ELSE WILL.

Learning to say no is one of the key success factors in today's corporate world. You cannot set priorities, if you can't say no. You cannot stay healthy, if you stick with yes. You cannot move ahead, if you can't leave anything behind.

While setting boundaries is critical, communicating them in a manner that is understood and ultimately agreed with is key. Take a long look at what you really want, how it will support your life and be willing to stand fast as required.

These are good tips, but they will be difficult (if not impossible) to implement for many people. Here's why: There is always a risk that setting boundaries will disappoint someone, and eventually and inevitably it will. Anyone who is a people-pleaser will be too afraid of the shame they experience when they disappoint someone. It's one reason boundaries are so hard to implement. My advice is to first deal with the subconscious fear of shame and other negative emotions (and other fears like damaging your reputation or losing your job) that come with setting boundaries. Then, having those conversations with your boss and setting real boundaries will be easier.

Setting boundaries and priorities is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. By establishing clear limits and determining what matters most to you, you can effectively manage your boss's expectations. This might involve saying no to tasks that are outside your scope or negotiating realistic deadlines. Remember to prioritise your well-being by scheduling regular breaks and engaging in activities that bring you joy.

When setting priorities, it’s important to align your boss to ensure you don’t drop the ball on something he / she deems important or urgent. Where possible, ask to be empowered to eliminate altogether the tasks that don’t add value to the greater goal.

A leader, or anyone, needs to hear things in their own 'language'. What is their primary way of communicating? Some are brief and to the point and looking to get things done. Some are thinking about how a change will impact the people around then and the time of the office. Many are feeling that other people won't feel supported if you make a change. Some are looking to figure out what the impact will be on productivity or outcomes and performance. Understanding how each style will 'hear' helps you to craft your message so it will be heard.

Have a conversation with your boss and help him realise that the expectations are creating pressure and adversely affecting you. Having a conversation will also help you understand his perspective.

First assess whether your boss is aware of your overwhelm and the importance work-life balance holds for you. Next, open a dialogue to solve for it in a mutually beneficial way. Use the 4A framework to land your communication effectively - 1. Articulate - your overwhelm, what’s important for you, and the support you need to integrate your work-life. 2. Anticipate - concerns your boss might have and how you can solve for it without affecting your delivery. 3. Align - on expectations and outcomes to be achieved. 4. Adapt - your approaches and working style to make it work for you and your boss. Being honest, open, and working together will build trust for a smoother working relationship.

Being proactive in your communication is helpful here and demonstrates professionalism. Take your time to thoroughly consider the situation and how you can outline your view and challenges in terms of workload and the impact it is having on your work/life balance. Think about the way your boss responds and their favoured style of communication as this will support you in getting the message across without it sounding defensive and stubborn. You want the discussion to result in understanding on both sides and a mutual way forward. Ask for their support in confirming your thoughts on what is priority right now, and if there is anything you may have missed from their perspective - reaffirm that you want to support them in getting the job done.

It is important to keep track of the requested changes and if it is actually happening or not. If you've asked for 'go home at 5', be sure to track it. And be aware of other things that may change as a result. Does the lunch break get squeezed, are there new expectations for evening 'catch-up' time, or email availability outside of work hours. While you may be home, are you really not at work?

I've worked with many clients getting clear about what they need in work life balance and in many cases, making changes in the way they lead or work creates more of what they are looking for. Ideas such as priority setting, delegation, setting clear expectations for the team(s), immediate follow-up and feedback all contribute to a more effective work place and for many, frees up space both in their calendar and their heads.

Definitely! I've found that my clients really struggle on their own to achieve work life balance. I've helped many women to release the subconscious patterns keeping them crazy busy so they are better leaders and get their personal lives back.

In my experience as an executive coach, I know that we as coaches sometimes are to eager to nudge towards work life balance as if it would be an end goal or an one-size-fits-all solution. I know that we can keep it much simpler, especially with more senior clients. I’ve had great success being quite quiet after gifting my clients with a couple of powerful questions to increase self-awareness such as: “Why is this work so important to you, and why now?” Or “What is the long game win and what are you prepared to invest or give up to get there?” And then just following up with lean-agile coaching questions such as “why is that important?” and “what would happen if you’d wait six months”. People know deep inside; who, what and why they are.

I have had many discussions where executives ,for paucity of time , are not able to evaluate their priorities on their own.However, post a coaching conversation, there awareness increases immensely about their own vision, goals and values and priorities which helps them to action out or charter a growth plan for themselvese

When expectations from your boss seem insurmountable, it's an opportunity to redefine what success looks like in your role. Reflect deeply on your values and how they align with your work. Could this challenge be a catalyst for growth or a sign to assert your needs more clearly? Engaging in this introspection and subsequent dialogue with your boss not only has the potential to ease the immediate pressure but also paves the way for a more authentic and fulfilling professional life.

Our environment, combined with our personality style, can create some real challenges, especially working remotely. I’ve found one of the main areas where conflict begins is managing expectations. It’s a two-way way street . Think for yourself: ? I tend to have (fill in blank) expectations of myself. ? I tend to have (fill in blank) expectations of others. If these expectations aren’t clear and SHARED with both parties, assumptions are made along with a lot frustration.

Firstly, recognise and accept that the concept of work life balance is flawed. The word balance seems to signify that work and life are equals and distinct. Wrong! Life is much much bigger than work. Work is only a small part of life. And for sure work is not distinct from life. It is a part of life and hence is life in welding some form. If you are facing challenges in this area, it amounts to taking a hard look at how you have prioritised life (or not prioritised it at all) and re prioritise things so that you feel what you consider as balance.

Just my personal perspective: It all depends on the definition of "work-life-balance". I don't understand the term itself as it suggests that my work would be a different entity, that was separated from my life. I left this perspective a long, long time ago. I live to do things, not the other way around. I don't see the separation of work and life. That does not mean that I don't watch my resources closely. Same for people I work with: Their well-being is my top priority. They simply can't put our clients' needs first when I give them no priority! If anyone doesn't feel well, the client will feel that too. One or the other way. Put the own people first, so they can make the customer our common number one priority. Makes (common) sense?