The concept of work-life balance has been around for a long time, having been part of leadership development and transformation management now for more than 40 years. Today, however, work-life balance is an outdated concept: there are many workers for whom it is not part of their experience, although top management may talk about it time and again. For this reason an increasing number of voices are calling for a new, more realistic concept to replace the old idea.
Efforts to adopt the old concept have failed so often that the need to come up with a new perspective is becoming increasingly clear. But how should this new concept look? It might be called work-life integration. According to theleadershiphub.com, we can use a well-known work by Stephen Covey, dealing with personal goals that transcend the workplace.
Work-life integration
Some firms addressed the issue of work-life balance with a decision to shut off e-mail servers once working hours were over or they introduced measures to limit the scale of using mobile devices. Today, however, many top companies offer young talents such perks as teleworking, game rooms and gourmet coffee facilities. Thus the office seems more and more like a real home. Mobile devices are excellent for workers with young children and those who face a long commute to work.
Clear priorities are key for a work-life integrative approach
Much is to do with priorities and goals which we all have and which we are chasing. Identifying the important things is necessary if you want to save time by letting go of all the unimportant stuff. Stephen Covey, who for several decades wrote about leadership and time management, can help us here: he suggests dividing challenges, both professional and personal, into four sections. Is it important or unimportant? And is it urgent or not? The results for one and the same activity may vary among people: it all depends on where you wish to be and what you are aiming to achieve.
-jk-