Work Life Balance

Guest post by the Accidental Civil Servant 

Work Life Balance…such an understated phrase for the holy grail of modern life!

I have worked many different contracted hours over the years for as many different reasons: childcare, part time degree course, even a sabbatical for foreign travel.

What I know is this:

• Never forget the customer is King (be it your boss, your team or the public) and your own flexibility/creativity will be essential.
• You fully achieve “balance” if you are completely present in the area of your life you are currently in! (Sobbing in the office toilets because you’d rather be with your baby, or contemplating juggling your team’s Xmas leave requests whilst watching the school nativity is not balance.  However it’s the reality for most working parents at some point – forgive yourself these moments.)
• Working part time in any middle/senior management position inevitably means working harder than most full time peers – e.g. you still go to the same number of meetings even if your area of work is proportionally smaller.
• Working part year will mean treble the planning, communication and investment in all your staff (be they your deputies or those at the coal face.)  If a crisis is going to happen (usually in the form of customers, personnel or both) it will kick off an hour before you leave the building for six weeks! You need to know your deputy is confident enough to look you in the eye and say “Go, I’ve got it!” You then need to reward them when you get back.
• A sense of humour, perspective and genuine appreciation for those who keep the plates spinning when you’re not there is essential. (Pay into the karmic pot! People will only cover well for you if you have it in the bank. I’ve personally covered staff’s extensive bereavement leave and domestic emergencies, try to always say thank you for the little things and never run a team meeting without providing cake!)

Despite occasional mental melt down (in the office and at home), I like to work.  I’m confident my daughter will remember I spent most of her school holidays with her.  I can only hope she will forget the time I forgot to send her to school with a packed lunch, or was late picking her up from music lessons!

My final advice is this:

• Smile
• Breathe
• When it does occasionally all go pear shaped say to yourself “no one died…now what wouldn’t I do next time!”

Our guest blogger this week is a British Civil Servant who chooses to remain anonymous.