Getting more work done at work
It seems like we’re hearing more and more these days about work-life balance as if there is some sort of a national crisis of people working too hard. In our opinion, that’s not the problem. The typical claim is that companies are demanding more work from fewer employees. In fact, we hear many bankers state that they need more staffing to accommodate their customers. The reality is that banks have done a good job of incorporating technology that has decreased lobby traffic, lessening the workload for their staff. The good news is that this trend is not unique to banking and many companies around to globe are using technology in this same manner. As we all know, technology and computers were supposed to free up time, weren’t they? So where is all the free time?
Regardless of these inconvenient facts, the work-life balance myth seems to be gaining steam by the day. So how can this be, in light of the opposing realities? Here’s a different take on the matter. We think work-life balance is less about being overworked and having it interfere with personal time and more about figuring out how you can get more personal stuff done while at work. We’re not denying that some people put in 70-80 hours a week and end up having very little time to spend on themselves or with their families. But this particular scenario happens to be a fairly small percentage of Americans and an even smaller percentage of the French. Regardless, there is a much larger segment of the workforce that is focused on infusing more of their personal life into their work life. It’s all about having more “Me” time while at work… as if this is an acceptable practice. Here are a few types of people we find at the center of the work-life balance myth.
Texting with Friends and Family
When it comes to task lists and calendars, the mobile phone has eliminated most excuses for not managing time effectively. However, far too many people are abusing the smart phone by using it to bring their personal life into the workplace. Watching for texts and calls from the kids, while at work, is not a reason to keep the phone within eyeshot. Let the kids go old-school and simply call the bank’s phone if they need you. Same goes for the spouse.
Social Media Junkie
If you’re more concerned about the number of likes your last post has received than the number of customer calls you’ve made, there might be a problem. Trust us, you’re not so important that your Facebook friends and Instagram followers won’t survive if you don’t like their posts during working hours. It will all be there after 6pm.
Gossip Central
Are you the go-to person for the latest scoop on your boss, your beloved coworkers, or even worse, your pain in the neck customers? Gossip should be a non-negotiable for any community bank, meaning it’s a fireable offense. Besides the disfunction and destruction it will cause within your bank, it takes away a tremendous amount of time from actual work. Stop the gossip and work-life suddenly begins to find a balance.
I Hate My Job
If this is you, it happens, but don’t blame work-life balance. Nothing ever balances when you’re in a job that just doesn’t fit. Maybe you have a really bad boss, mean coworkers, the job doesn’t fit your talent set, or maybe you and work just don’t do well together. Whatever the reason, for the sake of yourself and everyone around you, move on or retire. Try talking to your boss and see if there are options to be repositioned at your bank or consider moving to a different bank (preferably one of the large national banks) or possibly a different industry. Life’s too short and work’s too important to hate it. Nothing will ever balance as long as you remain in this state.
A fulfilling career makes for a better life
It’s interesting how having a career that matches your talents is one that leads to a fulfilling life. Whether you work 40 or 70 hours a week, doing what you love will bring fulfillment to other parts of your life and the so-called work-life balance won’t be an issue. If you find yourself fitting nicely into one of the above categories, start making the needed changes today or use that vacation to come up with a new game plan.
Work hard, play hard, and enjoy a balanced life!
