Facebook made headlines once again, and it was not due to another layout change. Apparently, the company’s second-in-command, COO Sheryl Sandberg, leaves work every day at 5:30 p.m. so she’s home for dinner with her kids.
If you’re wondering why this has any sort of significance, think about all the advancements in technology. Thanks to our lovely laptops, smart phones, iPads, etc., we can take work anywhere we go, which is both a blessing and curse.
However, Sandberg points out that she not only leaves work when the sun is still shining, she actually spends time with her family once she’s home. In other words, she embraces healthy work boundaries.
While this is somewhat of a novel approach in today’s work environment, it shouldn’t be.
According to a 2010 report from the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, there is strong connection between flexibility and productivity, which can help reduce turnover and absenteeism, and provide higher morale and company commitment.
As the manager or executive of your company, you deal with seemingly nonstop responsibilities on a day-to-day basis, but you still need to make sure to have some sort of work-life balance. And remember, employees follow your lead, and if you’re staying at the office from 8-8 with no breaks every work day, your employees will (involuntarily) follow suit.
I, myself, have been guilty of sending emails at 11 p.m. and staying at the office until, well, it was pretty late into the night. I have to constantly remind myself about work boundaries so my family remembers what I look like.
I’m not perfect about it and I’m sure neither are you, but here are some points to remember to give ourselves a bit more balance.
Like it or not, achieving work-life balance is a journey, and it might be hard to ever find the true destination. But if you work on flexibility, you might make that journey a little easier.
