Why is work-life balance important? Well, I want you to imagine this. You are in a theater watching a movie with your family. All of you are in a good mood. You're enjoying the moment when suddenly your phone buzzes. You remove it from your pocket and check, and there is a message from your work. You read the message, and it's about some issue to be handled for tomorrow's meeting. What do you do now? Most people will check that message. They will excuse themselves, go out of the movie theater, take that call, and start responding and see what they want to do. When you're back in the theater, your mood has changed from being happy to becoming tense and thinking about the work which is coming tomorrow. And that's where the work-life balance gets disturbed.
Now, while much has been written and taught about this subject, I think we all desire a sense of balance at home and at work. But the idea of balance is very difficult for me to teach because the truth is, this is almost impractical for a leader. However, what I teach executives and what I like to think of this is in another perspective called work-life integration. Work and life have to complement, supplement, and support each other. It's the process, you know. Work-life integration is a process of allowing space for both work and your personal life so that you can feel fulfilled in both aspects. Which means while you are with your family, keep work aside and respond immediately only if it's too critical. And I underline the word too critical. Else, let them know that you will get back. If it's not too critical, let them know you will get back, that you are right now caught up in a family engagement. And executives who openly share this—that we are caught up in a family engagement, let me get back to you—are more trusted and more looked upon.
And the same applies when you are at work. You cannot be thinking of home and housework during work time. So work-life integration isn't about finding that perfect balance between work and life. It's about finding a balance that works best for you. In fact, it makes me think of a popular verse from the Bible scripture that there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven. When you don't follow this rule is when you mess up everything at work and family.
Your Good Friend and Mentor
Payal Nanjiani
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