More and more of my clients are recognising the need for a better work / life balance. I have a client who embarked on my six session career change process and realised early on that he had fallen into the trap of putting more and more hours into the job as a way to get recognised. Entering the coaching process allowed him to take a step back and review his priorities.
The Challenge
He became aware that life outside his work was narrowing. His socializing had become confined to drinks after work with his colleagues; his relationship wasn’t flourishing and his fitness had taken a nosedive because he’d cut down on the after work activities he’d previously enjoyed. By giving into the pressure of working longer hours to try and satisfy what was missing in his job, he was negatively impacting the rest of his life. It’s something we all do from time to time, but when your life is always tilted in balance of work, then it’s time to do some soul searching.
The Process
I helped my client identify his top ten work values and it became clear to him that he’d been focusing on the wrong things. He’d found himself sucked up in his organisation’s value structure, rather than following his own path. The only way he felt he would be recognised by his company was to work harder and longer, but he valued innovation and leadership as well as leisure and family time. He found himself putting in the extra hours, along with everyone else who was trying to get noticed, and he still wasn’t being given the opportunities he wanted.
The values exercise was enlightening for many other reasons too. He discovered his desire to be innovative and challenged at work far outweighed his need for reward in the form of salary. He realised that working his way up the career ladder wasn’t going to give him what he wanted. His work with me also uncovered a desire to make a difference. Until now, he hadn’t known how important this was in his life, and so there was a large part of him that was left feeling unfulfilled. We explored what this meant to him, and he found that undertaking some kind of voluntary work, perhaps oversees in Africa would not only quench a thirst for travel, but also have a heartfelt impact on his life, as well as the lives of those who would benefit from his engineering and leadership skills.
The Result
By the next session my client had decided to move to another company who valued innovation and leadership over hard work and long hours. He was very clear about what he needed from a new job and had two interviews lined up. The first job did not interest him because it mirrored the same organisational structure as his current employer. He opted for a new position with a company that not only recognised his skills and talents but also his values and ideals. He knew this, because at the interview he was able to ask specific questions. This targeted approach helped him gain a leadership role – his ability to show them that he was aware of his drivers and motivators deeply impressed them.
A few months on and he is leading innovative projects, with a flexi-time arrangement. He has set up home with his partner, joined his local cricket team and he’s deciding what volunteer work he’d like to pursue later in the year.
If work/ life balance is something you need to improve, or you’d simply like to understand your values more deeply, I’d be delighted to work with you. Contact me, to discuss your next steps.