New Job Title: Professional Jugglers

 

By Chelsea Powell

After listening to a recent podcast on DearHBR, on work-life balance, I have found myself trying to be the best team member and leader during this time of uncertainty, or at this point let’s just call it chaos. But I never stopped to think about how I can adjust to be a better partner, daughter, sister, and mother for my family. 

The time we have devoted to creative thinking and shifting our entire way of life to virtual, my energy has been focused on how to be the best employee and leader I can be for my team. I asked myself after this podcast, why I haven’t been dedicating the same time to my family during this time and being a leader for them?

To be honest, it’s probably because I am tired, we are all tired.  Here’s what I realized, there is no real “balance” in fact we all probably feel like this is just a constant juggle and we are so afraid not to drop one of the balls.  I hate to say it, but during this time the balance will probably never be there, and we need to accept it, adjust and move forward.  

In the podcast “Working Parents, Let Go of The Idea of Balance” it looks at our personal relationships, especially parenting and discusses how we should approach our family, spouses, and children in the same way a great leader approaches their team members. Family is after all just another team we are on, whether we have chosen them or not (sorry mom and dad I still love you).  

Just because we “log off” of work doesn’t mean our leadership needs to log off too. “The choices we are making in our careers, as leaders at work, can also guide us in the way we parent and lead our families– and that those choices can strengthen all aspects of your life” (Curt Nickisch 2020).

So if we didn’t have enough to do, let’s add some more balls to juggle

  1. Take time to be intentional with your family – family walks, family movies, for example, my family and I are planning to camp in our backyard this week.
  2. When you make a decision in your family, follow up with the “why” this helps your family understand the rationale behind the answer
  3. Ask for help – tell your family when you need a moment to yourself and why.  Be willing to say “I’m not okay and here is what you can do to help me.”
  4. Time for reflection – even great leaders take time to reflect on what they have done well and what they can do better.  

Best of luck in your future juggles.

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