Can
we achieve Work-Life
Balance?
by Kamal Kant
by Kamal Kant
How often have we heard our boss or supervisor say, "Let's all work together to make it happen", or words to that effect to stimulate or encourage effort or enhance performance or productivity? But what does it really mean? The focus is on work and results. No mention about balancing it with your life!
Put simply work may be defined as,
"to exert one's self for a purpose to put forth effort for the attainment of an objective, to labour; to be engaged in the performance of a task, duty or like."
Like can be interpreted to mean anything that involves effort for oneself,
on behalf of others or as part of a team. Again, there is no mention about
the need to earn in order to maintain an acceptable or achievable lifestyle
within the bounds set by society and the world of work nor a balance with
your personal life!
Joanne B. Ciulla, a noted scholar in leadership and ethics at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond argues the case in her book "The Working Life - The Promise and Betrayal of Modern Work" that work promises to contribute more to our lives than it can deliver.
Joanne B. Ciulla, a noted scholar in leadership and ethics at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond argues the case in her book "The Working Life - The Promise and Betrayal of Modern Work" that work promises to contribute more to our lives than it can deliver.
Few
of us realise how dangerously we depend on our jobs to be the primary
source of our identity, the mainspring of individual self-esteem and happiness.
In some instances, work sometimes substitutes the fulfillment we used
to derive from family, friends, religion and community. This substitution
is risky because the economy is unpredictable and employers and employers
are fickle as they over-react to slightest negative indication in business
news.
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