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Balance in Business is typically understood as having organized files and a streamlined workflow. Those things are important, but in themselves won’t equate to a balance because those things won’t create a state of equilibrium inside your organization. In order to achieve that, your leaders, high-achievers and high-potential employees should trust the people and systems that are positioned to help them help you.
Employees should look forward to coming to work and sharing their abilities with an understanding that your company will increase their capacity and maximize their potential.
How can you put balance back in business? It’s a simple as 1-2-3.
1. STOP.
The goal is to prepare employees to propel inside your company, ensuring your end customers receive the best in service and delivery, elevating your organization to the top of your industry. In order to do that, you are going to have to stop and take a pulse of what their needs are. You can have your leaders attend a thousand trainings, participate in train-the-trainer forums and assess the whole company on what their personality, communication and leadership style is which will result in you just having a better understanding of what exactly? The diversity that you already knew existed and clarity on why John, Jane, Jill and Joe have different work styles.
Tell me, what exactly has that knowledge done to retain those people? Has it made them stop looking for alternative jobs every chance they get or decrease the amount of time they spend having private conversations about how unfulfilled they are? Assessments are great, but not in isolation. Once you have your data, you need to stop and take a pulse on what that means for those individuals you’ve just reduced to numbers and letters on a spreadsheet.
They are more than owls, birds or lions via their informative and semi-entertaining profile. They have lives that require them to leave space for joy, healthy relationships and sleep.
2. Make Room.
Yes, make room for the changes you are striving to introduce. Making room for Balance in Business will involve rolling up a few sleeves and knocking down the walls of outdated norms, stagnation and toxicity. Leaving room for the transformational culture where people are effective, engaging and innovative. If you’ve done your job to ensure this experience, then your employees will have room to work on their life balance outside of work hours.
3. No more Band-Aids on Bullet Wounds.
It’s typically a work-life balance challenge when there are too many business issues bleeding into personal hours. Far too many companies try to cover up the gaping wounds of overextension and lack of boundaries but throwing a few band-aids over everything. Oh, you don’t think your organization does that? Hm, let’s think about the last few thousand you spent on an office-wide breakfast with donuts and a few slices of fruit to say thank you for closing on a 90 hour a week project. Or perhaps it was that delicious round of pizza and sandwiches for all that should’ve made most feel appreciated… Your employees don’t want to be pacified, they need down time to build and nurture their relationships, to color the other shades of themselves and enjoy their personal development process. Munchies just won’t do.
When you fail to balance the business you push your employees against a wall to choose themselves over your projects. Some will simply adapt and find ways to give you bare minimum. Others will work themselves right into a bottle of Xanax as their new normal coping mechanism and call it the grind. Though some, the boldest of the bunch will choose to breathe, outside of your walls and take their skills, aptitude, energy and your IP ( Intellectual Property ) right out the door to and opportunity that appreciates them quite a bit more.
Advice in a nutshell: If you don’t want to lose great people, focus on your original company vision to be the best and choose to put balance in the business. You will undoubtedly make room for more, for everyone!