Men facing massive work life balance crisis
Stumble It!How to get your life back
It used to be that work-life balance was perceived as a female issue or only of interest to men in the 'B-League' of business/career ambition - but not any more. The problem runs very deep and some of the practical ways some men are trying to redress their balance include job partnering, better team working and trading money for time.
In the November 28 edition of Fortune Magazine, the main feature, GET A LIFE, describes the angst many business high-achieving men are finding around work-life balance.
My best ‘sound bites’ from the article:
- “When vacations become merely a change of work venue then something is badly wrong”
- “60-hour weeks have now become 80-hour weeks”
- “Businesses need to be 24/7 but individuals don’t”
- “The volume of electronic interactions is headed towards infinity”
- “We have created jobs that are literally impossible (for one person)”
- “We need to fix ‘extreme jobs’ and humanise top jobs”
“You can have it all but only if you are very clear what ‘all' is”
Strategies men are trying to fix it with include:
- Job partnerships, but not job-sharing, at an executive level
- Trading income for time
- A more effective use of teams
The article concludes with the challenge to men everywhere to find that elusive middle ground between being a maniacal workaholic and a cubicle-dwelling Dilbert.
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