In this idyllic example (see Gilmor’s full article), Gilmor, quits her job in order to spend more time with her family and in the process lands an ideal role that allows her to perfectly balance work and life. How would I rewrite this script?
- Infuse reality. Most men and women can’t quit their jobs. They require their paychecks in order to support their families. Gilmor is lucky she had this opportunity, but unfortunately, most don’t. A better example of a solution would suggest how to integrate all of it, while retaining work that pays the bills.
- Include men. Work-life integration isn’t just a women’s issue as this article seems to imply. Both men and women face demands from work and life and seek fulfillment in both.
- Celebrate companies who do. Kudos to Northern Trust Bank and Spartan, highlighted in this article. They are companies offering flexible working options.
- Learn from examples. Some countries and regions – Scandinavia and northern Europe are examples in this article – are ahead of the curve on offering flexibility. We can learn from them about federal approaches to offering work-life integration solutions.
- Consider context. This article seems to suggest that the solution lies with women negotiating a solution with their employer. In addition to empowering women and men to take initiative, we must encourage employers and countries to provide a context for flexibility.
Most of all, we should forget balance. Work-life balance is a misnomer. Work-life integration – and tapping both fully – is how we’ll accomplish abundance. It will require individuals and companies and countries to play a role, but it will be worth the effort.