Comments on: Freewheeling about work-life balance

By: Kishore Balakrishnan’s Blog » Blog Archive » Has any company linked employee email to a ticketing system?

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:14:50 +0000

[...] [Ignore This] Assumption: Company Email address should be used _only_ for business use. [Why Ignore? Read Freewheeling about work-life balance] [...]

By: are you taking enough holidays? | mad housewife

are you taking enough holidays? | mad housewife — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:07:36 +0000

[...] a lot about work/ life separation, a different approach than the one I prefer, which JP Rangaswami blogged about here- treating your whole life as a holiday. Taking a positive, gratitude-based approach to everything [...]

By: Cali and Jody

Cali and Jody — Tue, 13 May 2008 03:11:44 +0000

JP – would love to connect with you. If you’re game, you can reach us at caliandjody@caliandjody.com.

By: JP

JP — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:19:30 +0000

Great comments, thanks to all of youfor spending the time. That’s how I learn, from the comments you make and the references I get to follow.

Interesting blog you have there, Cali/Jody. Food for thought and probably the subject of another post.

By: Lee Hampton-Whitehead

Lee Hampton-Whitehead — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:55:18 +0000

At last some clarity in my own mind. My hobbies, work and personal interests have huge overlaps. Which not only means I usually enjoy my work, but it also results in fluffy line between “work” and “life”. I have wondered to a long time now whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. I guess it does not really matter provided one does not start control the other.

Now all I need to do is get my wife to understand.

By: Cali and Jody

Cali and Jody — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:21:57 +0000

JP – thanks for a very insightful post. We love the concept of being where your head is, not necessarily where you’re physically placed on the planet.

Our belief is that every day should FEEL like Saturday. Very similar to your “maybe you should always be on holiday” thought. If every day feels like Saturday, you are in control of your time and how you spend it. And things still get done.

Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson
http://www.caliandjody.com/blog

By: Harsha

Harsha — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:22:24 +0000

Of the three things for Life Balance , the third point was the best thought. The first two being generic.

I felt one should be consistent and transparent in prioritising things not only in the events of contention or conflict but at every possible time.

Steve Ellewood’s phrase of “setting clear expectations”, i think , concurs with that.

By keeping the Priorities transparent or Known to a certain extent, we do set expectations with clarity.

By: Steve Ellwood

Steve Ellwood — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:39:02 +0000

Ah, that sounds ideal. I think it depends upon what calls others make on your time – and how they value you.

I’ve worked on projects where people want my attention and involvement 14 hours a day, 6 days a week…

I don’t really think that I’m giving of my best after an 84 hour week – nor do I think that my reward package was comensurate with that degree of time involvement…

If you don’t set clear expectations – or aren’t at a pay grade where you’re allowed to set those expectations life can be made uncomfortable for you. In parts of most businesses there are people whose lifes would be made troublesome if they had to leave for a domestic emergency. “Isn’t there someone else who can go?”

The time I spend with our firm overlaps work/home, because I’m *encouraged* to be a homeworker. I have no commute – and I’m encouraged to learn and blog. Not all my colleagues are so fortunate.

As Phil says, he understands the issue for some, ” when the work they’re being paid to do, and which they may not even enjoy, prevents them from doing the things they really want.”

To which I’d add sometimes their management prevents them doing what they want in terms of flexibility…

Me, I’m on holiday in Boston, but have just done a couple of “work” email replies. Why? So I can enjoy my stay here with no stress about what’s happenng in the “office”.

By: LazyRiver

LazyRiver — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:48:56 +0000

Laudable sentiments JP. I would love you to publish on the your company intranet.

By: Phil Whitehouse

Phil Whitehouse — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:00:17 +0000

I share this perspective on life too. But we (most readers of this blog) must bear in mind how incredibly lucky we are to do jobs that we enjoy so much that we’re happy for them to overlap with our lives outside work. That we’d probably do plenty of anyway, even if we weren’t being paid to do so.

I can understand why people refer to poor work life balance when the work they’re being paid to do, and which they may not even enjoy, prevents them from doing the things they really want.