Balance, Blend Or Blur: Keep Your Focus On The Big 3

One of the more interesting aspects of my work as a global speaker, is people. Throughout the past 3 decades, several things have become clear about how people feel about the concept of mixing work and life. They include:

• Technology makes it possible for us to have choices. Many people have commented that if it weren’t for advances in technology, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to work from home, stay connected while out of the office, and keep in touch with friends and family while on the job.
• When given a choice, many people prefer to blend work and life activities instead of trying to keep them separate. I heard from lots of Gen Xers and even a Baby Boomer or two who expressed their desire to “mix it up” during the workday.
• As individuals we probably aren’t as open to different work/life perspectives as we should be. If the right work is getting done in an organization, and employees feel like they are in an environment where they can deliver their best work, isn’t that what really matters?

Whether your preference is Balance, Blend or Blur, I think there is a more important question to ask…

Is your approach moving you forward in the three key areas of your life?

The graphic at the top of this article highlights what I believe to be those key areas. The ideas are taken from my book, Juggling Elephants. How does your approach to work/life address the needs of these three “rings?”

As a leader in your organization, recognizing the need for each individual to address these three areas is critical. For example, some employees may not have the desire to cultivate strong relationships at work, and prefer to build those relationships outside the workplace. Others may feel differently and want those opportunities while on the job. Both perspectives are valid, as long as each can bring their best work, and foster the same in others. Some excellent questions to ask your team to start a discussion on this topic is:

The issue of how we do work will continue to be an important conversation for years to come as technology continues to transform our workplaces, and people with different perspectives try to find areas of consensus. What will NOT change, in my opinion, is that our individual success will be determined by how we choose to balance, blend, or blur the areas of work, self, and relationships.

How well is your approach to work/life moving you forward in these three key areas?

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