Balance in the New World of Work
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© Sarl Doussac Training 2009
The WLB Training Course is designed for those who need to go deeper than is possible in the awareness workshop. In small groups participants will do a deep dive in their personal situation and learn how to master the different elements & techniques in their own life. Specifically aimed at people that are in trouble at the moment.
To discuss more personal experience & thinking on problems, Leadership and the New World of Work more in depth we provide the possibility to have individual coaching. Obviously here also the self assessment is an important prerequisite. Some companies offer their employees the opportunity for coaching together with their partner. Which could have a positive effect on discussions at home.
As we want the entire program to have a long term impact we offer all people managers a coach-the-coach program. In this workshop we will discuss changes in management and leadership styles needed in the New World of Work, how to detect work-life balance issues in early stages, how to coach team members and how to stimulate the development of Personal Leadership and prevent WLB issues in general.
In the awareness workshops participants will learn new concepts on Work-Life Balance. Why has WLB little to do with time and much more with energy and Leadership? What are some first concrete steps I can implement to improve my feeling of Balance? What about the impact of the New World of Work? How to deal with family that is still in the Old World of Work? An important prerequisite for these workshops is the self-assessment. The Awareness Workshop can also be run by team so specific team issues can be adressed.
Doussac Training has developed a practical questionaire that anyone can fill in electronically within 5 minutes. Based on this 'self- assessment', an essential element of the concept, everybody will recieve personal and confidential feedback on his or her own situation, chances and risks along with some personalized tips and possible solutions.
There could be a kick-off during which all employees are familiarized with the concept of 'Balance in de New World of Work' and the program and where management shows their commitment. This could very well be done during a scheduled all-employee meeting or even during a 'happy hour'.
Vision and commitment on the part of the management is essential for success. Therefore we start with an intensive workshop for the management or leadershipteam. Why is 'Work-Life Balance' a trem that no longer covers it all? Where are the causes and solutions? On what issues should we develop a company vision? What is our responsability and what the individuals?
Balance is an important topic in the New World of Work. In cooperation with international clients Doussac Training has developed a program that can help organizations to adress the issue and can give individuals the opportunity to learn how to deal with it effectively. The Balance Concept is executed on site. Currently it runs in several organizations all over Europe. The program consists of five important elements:
One of the main issues is that people have to learn to switch from ‘multi-tasking’ to ‘focusing’. Instead of trying to do several tasks at the same time (and not devoting enough attention to each one of them) people have to learn to blend work and life and give each the attention it needs at the moment it needs it, without compromise. This skill is essential because a great many technology workers live in a private situation where the old ‘industrial economy’ is still leading: children go to school from Monday to Friday from 08.30 till 16.00 and have their free time in the weekend. Partners might work for local companies that are not operating internationally. This will mean that the big clash of cultures often occurs at home. Therefore I feel it is very important to share this insight with people so they will be better equipped to effectively discuss issues at the kitchen table and feel empowered at home and at work.. With a sense of reality, self confidence and a sound mind.
Let’s not make a mistake here: people have to work hard, maybe more hours than before, to create a successful career for themselves. In today’s world this cannot be done without sacrifice. That’s just the way it is. We can all sit around and have a philosophical discussion on whether or not we want that, but that won’t change much. We live in a competitive world and the basic question should be ‘if I live in this world, do I want to make the best of it and if yes, how do I do it?’ A lot of people spend large amounts of energy in fighting the inevitable instead of learning how to adapt, enjoy and live a rich and fulfilling life under these circumstances. And it can be done!
The program is based on the vision that work-life balance problems are symptoms and not the cause. Self confidence, self awareness, taking responsability and personal leadership are the real underlying issues.
In The New World of Work strict boundaries between work and private life have dissipated. People still living with the illusion that both can be neatly separated are the ones that run into trouble and build up frustrations. Frustrations about their job, their family life, their manager, the company they work for and, worst of all, frustrations about themselves as not being able to life a rich and fulfilling life. Burn-out might be a result. People continuing to strive for ‘balance’ will instead develop disappointment as life and work will inevitably become more intertwined. Therefore people must learn to live, work and make decisions in the new technology driven world of opportunity. Mobility, globalization and the wide spread of technology outside the workplace all work together to create a landscape in which strict boundaries have become an illusion.