Work-life integration is the real balance

Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister.

For this year’s Women’s History Month, Canada is celebrating working women along with their past, present and future contributions to economic growth. Not so long ago, men dominated the job market, and women were a rare sight at senior leadership tables. That is no longer the case.

This October, as we celebrate the women who have made an impact in Canada, I would like to share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned over the course of my career—thanks to the women who have paved the way before me, inspired me and shown me what’s possible.

What balance means to me

Women’s success in the workplace depends on better work-life integration. I prefer to talk about integration rather than balance because I don’t believe that our work and personal lives can be completely separate.

We can’t totally compartmentalize what we’re going through. Our joys, sorrows and worries follow us everywhere. We don’t have to reveal all our secrets, but we can tell our colleagues when we’re having a tough time. This can help them better understand changes in our behaviour and, most importantly, be supportive. And that support has to start with empathy in the workplace.

What does integration look like? Honestly, I still often ask myself that question. I’ve found that every woman responds differently. Integration takes different forms for different people. It evolves as priorities change over time.

What’s important is recognizing when struggles arise and giving yourself permission to make mistakes so you can bounce back. And, above all, ask for help.

The importance of taking time to reflect

I’m often asked how I manage to cope with all the demands of my job. What helps me is regularly devoting time to reflecting on my professional and personal lives to identify where the needs lie.

I find it useful to reflect on my actions by asking myself the following questions:

• Did I do the right thing today?
• Did I prioritize the right things?
• Did I use my time wisely?
• Have I given my family and employees what they need to give their best?

This exercise forces me to be honest with myself and refocus. Priorities change based on circumstances, and I have to adapt and accept that it’s sometimes impossible to accomplish everything that’s expected of me, or to do everything as well as I would like.

A final word to my fellow working women

We all have our own life goals and unique career paths. How we measure our success is ultimately a very personal matter.

What we all have in common though is the desire to be happy and fulfilled at work and in our personal lives. Our success depends in part on our solidarity and willingness to help one another. Let’s lift each other up!