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Commentary: Should we really be listening to leaders’ advice on work-life balance?

Work-life balance advice from business leaders might not resonate with the rank and file, but it’s more feasible now to strike the balance you want, says career consultant Sze-Yen Chee.

Commentary: Should we really be listening to leaders’ advice on work-life balance?
A 2023 survey by recruitment company Randstad found that better work-life balance elsewhere is the top reason that would make a Singapore professional resign. (Photo: iStock/surachetkhamsuk)

SINGAPORE: When Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam expressed his view last month that work hours in Singapore “are a bit too long” to an audience of youth leaders, he was greeted with applause.

That exchange revealed how overwork is a common experience in Singapore, whether you are a seasoned leader or a young person getting your first taste of the working world.

Work-life balance continues to be a hot talking point, with leaders’ comments about it making local headlines.

DBS CEO Piyush Gupta provoked much debate when he said work-life balance was “baloney” on a CNA podcast, claiming that it is impossible to divorce work from life. His opinion is that with an average workday of eight to 10 hours, the workplace is where you have “friends, colleagues, impact, growth and income.”

Naturally, overworked employees might not take kindly to the face value of comments like that. For them, work-life balance is very much an important priority. A 2023 survey by recruitment company Randstad found that better work-life balance elsewhere is the top reason that would make a Singapore professional resign.

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Work-life balance advice from business leaders might also not resonate with the rank and file. Surely C-suite executives sacrificed plenty to rise through the ranks.

But is there necessarily a tradeoff between career success and a rich personal life?

SEASONS OF CAREER GROWTH

Career consultants like me always ask clients what is important to them, as this helps them define a professional direction that aligns with their life goals.

Some of the most common answers are family, friends, good food, meaningful work, sleep, spirituality, giving back to the community and hobbies.

If we were to score each of these elements on a scale, it’s obvious that not all elements are going to get equal attention and time. We all know of successful executives who are perpetually online outside working hours, or who have had to miss important milestones in their children’s lives.

When executives are in career acceleration mode, they undoubtedly would focus more time and energy on their work. I would in fact advise career accelerators to take on stretch projects for exponential growth.

Stretch projects can take the form of work in a completely new domain, enabling us to learn more about another business area. They can also be additional responsibilities that help us develop new skills. Taking on stretch projects can be used as leverage for a career move or a promotion.

Correspondingly, executives with young families may choose not to accept stretch projects that would come with greater responsibilities and a heavier workload. They may also decline assignments that require a lot of travel in favour of staying closer to home.

A DJ DASHBOARD

As we plan our careers, we may have seasons of acceleration, and also seasons where we downshift from work.

In a November 2022 forum, Mr Gupta said that one of his biggest regrets is being consumed by work in his younger days and giving up his interests.

But because he had his season of career growth in his youth, one can’t help but wonder what Mr Gupta would be doing now if he did slow his pace to pursue his interests then.

The truth is that these choices need not be mutually exclusive, and that we should make time for the things that matter to us. We can prioritise work and still keep up with hobbies, though at a lesser intensity. For example, Mr Gupta is a keen bird watcher, but he does it twice a month.

Work-life balance is not just about seasons, but also about intensity and energy.  A good metaphor is a DJ’s dashboard. There are many dials that we can choose to amplify or lessen.

Boosting the career dial might mean reducing the family and leisure dials. We might miss a birthday here or a recital there. We might delay signing up for baking classes.

What is certain is that turning all the dials up to the max is not sustainable. Trying to be everything to everyone will result in burnout and health issues.

CREATING OUR OWN IDEAL WORK-LIFE BALANCE

But technology has changed the professional world so much that we can now manufacture our own form of work-life balance.

There are many who prioritise life experiences, and work is a means to an end. Digital nomads, for instance, work remotely while ticking off travel goals and immersing themselves in a different way of life.

While not everyone can work from a laptop in Bali, flexible work arrangements are highly coveted by professionals and are key to work-life balance.

Mr Tharman also expressed the view that flexible working arrangements, combined with a shorter work week, must be “the new norm” for working adults to cope with caregiving duties.

I decided to leave the corporate world when my children were young and have had a portfolio career for almost two decades since. It has given me more control over my dashboard of dials.

But keeping the balance is not as straightforward as it sounds. DJs make it look easy, but their dashboards require constant monitoring.

Work-life balance requires planning, communication, empathy and patience. My work-life balance is still a work in progress today as I continue to juggle work, household chores and family time.

Can we have it all? The answer is yes, just not necessarily at the same time.

Sze-Yen Chee is Executive Director at Career Agility International, a career strategy consultancy.

Source: CNA/el

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