How Do We Get a Handle on Work-Life Balance?

Dear Rebalancing:

Right now, you have talented people in your organization who have risen to the challenges a bump in business has presented. But it may also be true that many of these individuals may not be in the right jobs in the first place. In this pressurized environment, that means manageable stress in the job has been exacerbated — throwing work-life balance out of whack.

In our research, we’ve found that the larger the gap between an individual’s core skills, behavioral style and motivators and the skills, behavioral style and motivators required for the job, the higher the stress.

So, for the first attempt to address work-life balance, think about whether you have the right people in the right jobs. Validate the work your team has done but review their job responsibilities — and all the responsibilities added to the job since things got hectic. You may discover in this process that some of your jobs may require a person to be all things to all people. If this is the case, you must re-engineer that job. Placing people in jobs that require them to be all things to all people is roadmap for burnout. To bring about balance, start by relieving that pressure.

SOURCE:Bill J. Bonnstetter, TTI Success Insightsand Target Training International, Ltd., Scottsdale, Arizona