True commitment to work-life balance is giving people permission to take other priorities as seriously as their jobs. In burnout cultures, people are expected to drop everything for work. In healthy cultures, people are encouraged to protect time for family, health, and leisure.
@AdamMGrant I couldn't agree more. True commitment to work-life balance means giving employees the flexibility and autonomy to prioritize other aspects of their lives as equally important as their job.
@AdamMGrant @jasmineelgamal And side hustles. I encourage my team to build those if they want to!
@AdamMGrant This is a two way street. I currently have an employee that suddenly has his 3yr old every other week. Great! Except now works half days that, the job isn’t getting done correctly, things missed, costing me money and time. I would be perfectly fine if the job still gets done.
@AdamMGrant For all our talk about work-life balance, there's little show for it. Perpetual workaholism and burnout behaviors are a badge of honor in American culture and embedded in our DNA, so systemic change is unlikely. Work-life harmony must be prioritized daily by individuals.
@AdamMGrant Maybe 'balance' doesn't work anymore as the metaphor for this conversation? Striving for balance might add to burnout when it becomes clear it can't be achieved, not really.
@AdamMGrant It’s rare you see an employer take this stand. In their eyes, business is the priority above all else. Through my gym business I encouraged a health and family first culture. Because when I needed my team the most, they had my back.
@AdamMGrant True! “Work-Life” balance in most organizations seems to have just become a buzz word!! Healthy cultures are sadly diminishing or non-existent.The mission,vision,values that look so great on paper/websites remain just that.
@AdamMGrant It's more a question of "Life balance" - family, friends, self and work are all parts of life!
@AdamMGrant Work is important but not more important than the reasons we work in the first place.
@AdamMGrant I would argue that it must go beyond permission to modeling and expectation with follow-up if it’s not happening like any other aspect of a role.
@AdamMGrant @sesigl Yep, however for someone who loves what he does there is no such thing as burnout. Working on work-life balance is merely trying to cure the symptom.
@AdamMGrant Have you done any research into the medical field and how work/life balance can be achieved in that system? Resident Drs are often asked to work 12 out of 14 days ~12hrs+/day on top of switching between days and nights and this doesn't include outside study which is expected.
@AdamMGrant CEOs making millions and building reputations off their career expect average employees to be as committed and hardworking as they are. That's ridiculous.
@AdamMGrant Very well said, Adam. All aspects of life need to be taken into consideration.
@AdamMGrant For years I've heard leaders say that staff can prioritise personal interests but only in the past year have I seen leaders actually allow it. The results are unquestionable positive; happier and more productive teams.
@AdamMGrant Creating a culture that promotes work-life integration is crucial for talent retention. Besides increasing productivity and engagement, work-life integration allows employees to coordinate their responsibilities more effectively. Thank you, @AdamMGrant, for your insightful post.
@AdamMGrant I have known startups where they have worked really hard the last three months or so for a years long deadline, to ship the product, and then had weeks or months vacation for most, some working after two or three weeks on bug fixes if needed. Such won't last decades, it pays off.
@AdamMGrant Mental and physical energies are revived when we are closed to loved one.
@AdamMGrant So true, I fully agree 💯, The dilemma here is: In the burnout culture, management mostly talks about values / family environment, while in a healthy culture, management or the leader leads by example and tries to deliver the message practically instead of speeches!!
@AdamMGrant Not until serios employment and tax reform and not meager minimum wage empty talk is done, in burnout society’s like ours, nothing really will change. Just take a look at the US Congress and their perks to start.
@AdamMGrant In burnout culture, patient and billing > everything.
@AdamMGrant Job taking away the time to think and create is tragic. This eventually leads to burnout in order to create what you want.
@AdamMGrant As you have said before "A company is not a family" The whole idea that people need permission to set a work-life balance is counterintuitive. Our attitude defines and draws boundaries and our capabilities ward off all elements that try to put us out of work-life balance.
@AdamMGrant Yes, I have seen many environments managers just ask people to drop everything for no good reason
@AdamMGrant Agree, let me develop the idea taking recent advantages in AI. Breakthroughs, ideas, innovations can de created by person who is in a resourceful state. Tired people can only do simple work, which now or later will be taken by AI. Being tired - to be at risk for replacement.
@AdamMGrant At Peopleful, our diagnostics have shown that it is an imbalance in demand vs support in the workplace that drives burnout. Organisational support plays a critical role in mitigating burnout risk!
@AdamMGrant Absolutely correct and this increases the productivity and faith in the organisation. Let Indian Financial Sector Management learn this. @Gurdars95421128 @adarpoonawalla @IIFLHomeLoan @Bajaj_Finserv @bajajsanjiv @Poonawallahfc @PiramalFinance
@AdamMGrant Totally agree! But what’s your take on the idea of achieving work-life balance: A) Like a see-saw (applying more focus in areas of need in each season) or B) Like fixed buckets where each area gets a set amount of resources (time, energy, attention,…)? Genuinely curious.
@AdamMGrant Having trust nowadays is very important specially when more people than before work remotely. And having flexibility makes easier to combine work and time with your family. Within healthy culture people is happier knowing that they can adapt both sides without fear.
@AdamMGrant Basically making the workforce lazy. I believe our careers demand our 100% commitment and all else must take a backseat. All successful people sacrificed all aspects of their lives for their goals. And we should do the same.
@AdamMGrant You are only young once- enjoy it! Your children are only young but for a moment ~ treasure it! As you age you have more freedom to give your all to your passions.
@AdamMGrant In burnout cultures people even brag about putting work above all else. Yuck!
@AdamMGrant @ZBauermaster This is so so true!!!
@AdamMGrant What are the next 1, 2, and 3 steps to change at the organizational level?