Work/Life Harmony, rather than work life balance

• Work/ life balance as we know it at present isn't working.

• It's a "time-poor" concept, based on conflicting demands of employer and employee for a share of the 24/7 day.
• Separation of work and personal life roles has become a blur. Work is just one of many roles that people perform in their 168 hour week. Family-friendly policies are now only one aspect of the work life balance issue.
• Globally, economic growth depends on people having a strong work ethic. Individuals however want a "life ethic":

• working to live, rather than living to work,
• personal goals being the top priority over corporate goals
• emotional needs over material needs.

• Work Life Harmony is the way to go – harmony of work and personal needs, goals and interests.

Harmony is:

the product of diversity. A choir or orchestra is a 'mosaic' of unique individuals who come together periodically to produce a pleasing sound. Business has to find ways of maximizing the unique interests and potential of employees to achieve its own 'pleasing sound' - usually in the form of a quality service to customers and a satisfactory financial bottom line.

energy in and energy out. Getting the right mix of energy-generating interests (the 'what you want to do' ) and energy-burning responsibilities (the 'what you have to do'). Small regular energising experiences can sustain long-term stress.

Steps to achieve a work/life harmony culture in the workplace include:

• seeing the organisation as a flat-line structure, with all people of equal importance when it comes to work life harmony and stress management issues
• round table workshops involving teams and managers, to clarify issues of common concern inhibiting a satisfactory work life harmony culture, and
• group recommendations towards an energy management strategy for
  • readily resolving issues at little cost
  • longer-term resolution of more complex issues