1.
Achieving Work Life Balance Workshop
• To focus on how to successfully
combine work, family
relationships and leisure time into
a satisfying life.
Purpose
• To create a skill set that enhances
the ability to evaluate priorities,
focus on the big picture and use
long range planning
Approach
• Use prioritizing and organizational
skills to make sense out of
conflicting demands
Tool
2

2.
The Work – Life Balance
• Work and personal world were once very
distinct.
• It is harder than ever to keep up with both
your work and personal activities.
• Activities and social spaces are becoming
ambiguous.
3

3.
Daily Humdrum
• Getting ahead at work
• Spending quality time with your significant
other
• Caring for elderly parents
• Doing chores at home
• Taking care of children
• Commuting to/from work
4

4.
• There was a time when people in the IRS
reported to work Monday through Friday and
worked an 8 hour day.
• The day started at 8:00AM and ended
at 7:00 PM
however,
• The world has changed. Some of the changes
in the work world caused a change and
blurring of the work and personal worlds.
5
The Never-Ending Work Day …

5.
Changes in the Work World
• Global economy
• International business
• Advanced communication technology
• Flex-time schedules
• Alternative or flexi-place work location
• Changes in family structure (dual-career)
6

6.
7

7.
• 57% of people who say they had to go into work
late or leave early did so because of caring for
elderly relatives
• 4% say they’ve turned down a promotion
• 10% say they went from full-time to
part-time work
Article in Forbes Magazine- March 17, 2009
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Facts About the Workforce

8.
• 2 out of every 5 employees are dissatisfied
with the balance between their work and
personal lives
• The lack of balance is due to:
Long work hours
Changing demographics
More time in the car
Deterioration of boundaries between
work and home
Survey Results of 50,000 Employees from a
Variety of Organizations (Source: Quintessential Careers article)

9.
• First, remember that the work/life balance can
mean different things to different people.
It can also change and mean different things
to you at various points in your career.
• You also have to be realistic.
If you set a priority (EX: advance in your
career),
you have to be realistic about what that will
require.
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So … How Do You Restore Balance to
your Life?

10.
1. Negotiate a Change with Your Current
Employer
Changes can include: flextime, job-sharing,
telecommuting or part-time employment.
Your 1st step is to research your employer’s
policies and methods of handling previous
requests
2. Find a New Career
Some careers are simply more stressful
and time-consuming than others.
Explore careers that are less stressful and
more flexible
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10 Tips for Getting your Work/Life in
Balance ( By Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.)

11.
5. Learn to Better Manage Your Time. Avoid
Procrastination.
For many people, most of the stress they feel
comes from simply being disorganized – and
procrastinating.
Learn to set more realistic goals and
deadlines and then stick to them
6. Share the Load even though we may
sometimes feel we’re the only ones capable
of doing something, it's usually not the case.
7. Get your partner or other family members to
help you with all your personal/family
responsibilities
12
10 Tips for Getting your Work/Life in
Balance (continued)

12.
3. Find a New Job
Rather than a career change, perhaps you
simply need to take a less stressful job within
your chosen career. This may involve
working with your current employer to
identify a new position
4. Slow Down
Life is simply too short Take steps to stop
and enjoy the things and people around you.
Find some ways to distance yourself from
the things that are causing you the most
stress
13
10 Tips for Getting your Work/Life in
Balance (continued)

13.
7. Let Things Go.
(Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff) Learn to let
things go every once in a while Learn to
recognize the things that don’t really have
much impact in your life and allow yourself
to let them go … then don’t beat yourself up
for doing so
8. Explore Your Options. Get Help.
In many cases you do have options; you just
need to take the time to explore them EX: a
sitter for your children, options for care of
your aging parents, counseling for yourself….
Don’t feel overwhelmed with your family
responsibilities
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10 Tips for Getting your Work/Life in
Balance (continued)

14.
9. Take Charge. Set Priorities.
Sometimes it’s easier for us to allow
ourselves to feel overwhelmed rather than
taking charge and developing a prioritized
list of things that need to get done Buck the
trend.
10. Simplify
It’s human nature to take on too many
tasks and responsibilities, to try to do too
much and to own too much. Find a way to
simplify your life Change your lifestyle Get
rid of the clutter and baggage in your
house – and your life.
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10 Tips for Getting your Work/Life in
Balance (continued

15.
• In the end, the key word is balance.
 Find the right balance that works for you
 Celebrate your successes and don’t dwell
on your failures.
 Life is a process .. and so is striving for
balance in your life.
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Final Thought on the Work/Life
Balance….

16.
7 Tips For Work-Life Balance
By: Jeff Wuorio
1. Don’t overbook
2. Prioritize ruthlessly
3. Learn how to say no
4. Organize
5. Use technology
6. …but don’t overdo it
7. Know it won’t always be perfect
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Facts About the Workforce

17.
• Don’t plan too many things
– Assume that only 50% of things you plan for
the day will actually get done
Lisa McGonagle
(Public Relations business owner – Boston)
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Facts About the Workforce

18.
• The secret to booking your time effectively boils
down to knowing what is important and what
can wait
• Use the sharpest knife to trim the essential from
the secondary
Krista Kurth, Co-author
“Running on Plenty at Work”
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Facts About the Workforce

19.
Organize
• Bringing time into line isn’t just a matter of
scheduling.
•
“Eliminating clutter and the chaos it causes will
give you a gift of 240 to 288 hours every year”
Peggy Duncan
(an Atlanta-based personal productivity
authority)
Organizational ideas include:
20
Facts About the Workforce

20.
Learn to Say No
• One of the biggest land mines to effective
time management is recognizing you don’t
have to agree with everything and with
everyone.
“Saying no to one thing opens the door to
saying yes to something else”
Krista Kurth
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Facts About the Workforce

21.
Use Technology:
• Go beyond personal habits and practices for
time management.
– Use technology as another weapon to make
the most effective use of your workday
• “Sticky notes are one of the worst things in the
world. ..”
• “..You should live by your database. That
way nothing is ever forgotten.”
Lisa McGonagle
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Facts About the Workforce

22.
(Use technology) … But Don’t Overdue It
• Part of effective time management is knowing
when to shut things down
– Turning off a cell phone or other wireless
means of communication establishes
boundaries
» Helps you balance your personal
and professional time
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Facts About the Workforce

23.
Know It Won’t Always Be Perfect
• “Be grateful for what goes right and learn
from your mistakes.”
• Do what you can and enjoy whatever time
you spend more pleasantly and productively.
– Time management is not an exact science.
Don’t stress out and waste time in the
process obsessing over every second of
time.
Krista Kurth
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Facts About the Workforce