One of the foremost thinkers on this concept of “work / life balance” is Stewart Friedman from the Wharton School of Business at Penn. He is the founding director of the Wharton Leadership Program and an ongoing project on Work/Life Integration. He is producing astonishing results and findings from this effort and has published much of his findings in some pretty awesome books. Look him up if you get a chance.
I want to focus on a part of his research that validates a theory I have had for two years now. I have been looking for behavioral psychologists that would help prove this true, but it turns out a business school professor has given me the best ammunition for my concept. The crux of my idea was that by working less, I would actually be more productive and get more done. In essence I have found that to be absolutely true, and Dr. Friedman seems to absolutely agree. Maybe I should be teaching classes and writing books!? Nah. I will stick to writing daily blogs for now!
Anyway, it is not really working that much less. What it is, is working on more important things, not allowing the more trivial things to bog me down and learning to combine my work tasks with my personal ambitions. A follow up to my theory is that if a person becomes more satisfied with their personal life, they will produce more satisfactory results at work. So I emphatically encourage for everyone to work on their personal goals, make them a priority. Do not feel guilty about taking the necessary time to meet personal objectives, because as you become a better person, your work will improve and you will generally be more effective.
I think my life for the last 710 days is absolute proof of that. I really did not need a Wharton professor to tell me this, I had already reached the conclusion. However, looking over some of his materials he does have some pretty good advice that I would like to pass on if you like this concept. He likes to emphasize three major things that you should be striving for in leadership and in life. Those are:
1. Be Real
2. Be Whole
3. Be Innovative
I absolutely believe that he is correct. Being real, open, honest about what you are experiencing is important. It helps the people around you, helps you to stay motivated and also gets you reinforced by advice and kindness from others. People respond better to people that are real. A whole person just does better at all activities in life. If you have balance with the physical, spiritual, emotional, mental and financial then you are less distractable when it comes to setting and achieving important goals. I am NOT there yet, but I can certainly see a glimpse into the power of being a genuine and whole person. Finally, being innovative brings out creativity. That allows you to be creative, which really engages your entire mind. It is the ultimate expression of being human and a necessity to thrive. Being creative, innovating is critical to being the person that you would like to be.
A person that focuses on these three things builds competence and confidence and will ultimate improve every aspect of their lives, including work. Companies would be well advise to make sure their employees are taking care of their whole selves. That is how to improve productivity, not micromanagement or accountability strategies. Friedman requires people in his research project to agree to an experiment. The concept is that they have to work with his team to come up with a creative idea that allows them to integrate work and life together. A way they can accomplish two things at once. He suggests that the ultimate idea is one that creates a four way win. If you can come up with a way to solve for home, work, community, and your private self all in the same action then you are well on your way to becoming a whole person.
I am on my way with that. Part of me creating this blog was a way for me to improve my personal self. It started as a diary. Then I invited my family to start reading it. They too started to follow the 365 commitment. That was how I incorporated home. Then I started sharing the blog with my community. Several people I know are reading it now, occasionally at least. Finally, I shared the blog with my work. So I have now a four way win. This is a task that I do everyday that accomplishes all four categories for me personally. It is now longer a tough thing for me to do and think about. I actually enjoy it and view this as one of the most productive times of my day when I can sit down and come up with an idea to write about and spend a few minutes documenting my thoughts.
I will include by taking this concept of a good work life balance seriously. It is not just a trite phrase that people tell you, it is a real key way to improve your performance over all as a person and an employee. I challenge you to follow Friedman’s advice and come up with a four way win yourself! Does not have to be a blog, it can be any creative idea that you come up with. See if you can do it! It may not happen right away, but give the experiment a try and see what happens. I think you will like the result.
Guy Reams
