Work Life Balance
The Balancing Act

  • John Willis has worked in the IT management industry for more than 35 years. He was formerly Director of Ecosystem Development at Docker. Prior to Docker, Willis was the VP of Solutions for Socketplane (sold to Docker) and Enstratius (sold to Dell). Prior to to Socketplane and Enstratius, Willis was the VP of Training and Services at Opscode, where he formalized the training, evangelism, and professional services functions at the firm. Willis also founded Gulf Breeze Software, an award-winning IBM business partner, which specializes in deploying Tivoli technology for the enterprise. Willis has authored six IBM Redbooks on enterprise systems management and was the founder and chief architect at Chain Bridge Systems.

So when I got the Chef right, the people who were at Chef, Chris Brown…is the person who wrote Amazon EC2. Jesse Robbins was basically called master disaster. That was his title at Amazon. This was an incredible set of people…At basically 9 there was no one in the office. At 5, there was no one in the office. And this was an incredible if you've paid any attention from where they did what they did from 2009 to 2015, to our industry, that was basically a nine to five shop. Right? And that was about as more productivity that I've seen in most companies that I've been around on in the last, almost 40 years.

Your Role

  • Balancing work and life in the tech world is akin to navigating a perilous tightrope. Several key factors contribute to the inherent difficulty of this high-wire act:

    • Always-on Culture: The pervasive "hustle" mentality and ubiquitous digital accessibility create a constant lurking anxiety, making it difficult to truly disconnect and recharge.

    • Hypercompetitive Environment: The relentless pressure to perform and stay ahead of the curve can lead to perfectionism, overwork, and feelings of inadequacy.

    • Social Isolation: Despite being surrounded by colleagues, the focused nature of tech work can foster a sense of isolation, hindering meaningful connections and the social support system crucial for managing stress.

    • Establishing Firm Boundaries: Clearly defining and enforcing boundaries between work and personal life is paramount. This involves implementing strategies like scheduling offline time, managing notifications, and saying "no" to unreasonable demands.

    • Mastering Prioritization and Time Management: Skillfully prioritizing tasks and utilizing time management techniques like time blocking and delegation are crucial for maximizing efficiency and minimizing unnecessary stress.

    • Integrating Self-Care Rituals: Prioritizing self-care is not a luxury but a necessity. Building routine self-care practices that incorporate activities like exercise, meditation, hobbies, and spending time in nature is essential for replenishing mental and emotional reserves.

    • Open and Transparent Communication: Maintaining open dialogue with managers about workload, expectations, and challenges fosters a supportive work environment and equips managers to address potential issues before burnout occurs.

  • Discovering Your Passions:

    • Step Outside your Comfort Zone: Try new hobbies, volunteer, or travel. Explore hidden talents and rediscover forgotten interests.

    • Embracing Community: Find your tribe. Join communities that share your interests. Building connections and learning from others fosters a sense of belonging and fulfillment.

    Investing in Relationships:

    • Quality Time with Loved Ones: Prioritize meaningful interactions with family and friends. Nurturing these relationships is a source of immense joy and support.

    • Deepening Connections: Go beyond surface-level conversations. Building deeper relationships fosters emotional intimacy and strengthens your support network.

    Cultivating Inner Peace:

    • Connecting with Nature: Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. Spending time in nature has a profound effect on our well-being and can bring a sense of calm and perspective.

    • Nurturing Your Creativity: Express yourself through writing, music, art, or any creative outlet that resonates with you. Engaging your creativity can be a powerful source of joy.

The Research

  • Contrary to popular belief, working long hours isn't the key to productivity. Stanford professor John Pencavel's research revealed that exceeding 50 hours leads to a sharp drop in output per hour. This decline becomes dramatic after 55 hours, where working even more yields no added benefit. In fact, those clocking 70-hour weeks achieve the same output as those putting in 55 hours.

    • Demanding Workload: The fast-paced nature of tech often leads to heavy workloads, tight deadlines, and constant pressure to perform, leaving little room for personal time and mental respite.

    • Toxic Culture: Some tech companies foster a culture of "hustle" and overwork, glorifying long hours and downplaying the importance of personal well-being. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy and pressure to conform.

    • Lack of Boundaries: The ubiquitous nature of technology makes it easy to blur the lines between work and personal life. Emails, messages, and notifications can intrude on personal time, making it challenging to fully disconnect and recharge.

    • Uber's Hustle Gone Wrong: Uber, once a symbol of Silicon Valley disruption, faced public scrutiny in 2017 when numerous employee reports revealed a toxic "hustle culture" at the company. Long hours, unrealistic expectations, and a pressure cooker environment led to employee turnover, and even legal action.

    • WeWork's Icarus Flight: WeWork, the co-working space giant, soared to a $47 billion valuation before experiencing a dramatic fall in 2019. This plunge was partly attributed to its founder's erratic leadership, fueled by questionable decision-making.

    • The Price of Early Growth in Startups: Many startups, driven by rapid growth and relentless competition, foster a culture of overwork and sacrifice. In high-pressure startup environments, personal lives are often put on hold for the sake of the company's success.

Role of Employers

  • The impact of employers is immense and multifaceted, particularly in tech where the lines between work and personal time can easily blur. Progressive employers recognize that a healthy work-life balance is not just a perk but a fundamental component of a productive and sustainable work environment. They understand that employees who can successfully manage their professional and personal lives are more engaged, motivated, and less prone to burnout. This understanding leads to the implementation of policies like flexible working hours and the encouragement of regular breaks and vacations. These policies are not only about offering benefits but also about fostering a workplace culture that respects personal time.

    • Unwritten Rules: Sometimes, the heaviest burden isn't workload, but the unspoken expectations. The "always-on" culture, where even silence feels like slacking, can weigh heavily on our minds. Employers need to acknowledge this invisible backpack and create a culture that values genuine rest and well-being.

    • Leading by Example: The path we take is often shaped by the footsteps ahead. Leaders who value their own work-life balance, who disconnect and prioritize personal time, send a powerful message. They become beacons, showing us that scaling the peak of success doesn't require constant climbing.

    • Measuring What Matters: The summit isn't always about the number of steps climbed. Measuring success solely on billable hours or constant feedback can push us to exhaustion. Employers need to shift their focus towards outcome-based evaluation, valuing quality over quantity and encouraging us to pace ourselves for the long haul.

    • Investing in Proactive Measures: Offering mindfulness workshops, stress management programs, and access to mental health resources goes beyond simply addressing burnout after it occurs. It fosters a proactive culture of well-being and resilience.

    • Empowering Employees: Encouraging employees to set boundaries, say "no" to unreasonable demands, and disconnect after hours empowers them to take charge of their own work-life balance. Providing training on communication and assertiveness skills can further equip them.

    • Creating Community: Fostering a sense of community and belonging within the workplace can provide support and reduce feelings of isolation, especially for those facing burnout. This can include creating spaces for informal interaction, encouraging open communication, and celebrating non-work achievements.

    • Holding Each Other Accountable: Creating avenues for employees to voice concerns about workload, stress, and boundaries, without fear of repercussions, is crucial. This fosters open dialogue and allows employers to address issues before they escalate.

  • Nigel Marsh is the author of Fit, Fifty and Fired-Up, Fat, Forty and Fired and Overworked and Underlaid. He's the chairman of strategic research consultancy The Leading Edge and the co-founder of the energy-saving movement Earth Hour. Marsh also founded The Sydney Skinny.

So I left work an hour early that afternoon and picked Harry up at the school gates. We walked down to the local park, messed around on the swings, played some silly games. I then walked him up the hill to the local cafe, and we shared a pizza for two, then walked down the hill to our home, and I gave him his bath and put him in his Batman pajamas.

I then read him a chapter of Roald Dahl’s “James and the Giant Peach.” I then put him to bed, tucked him in, gave him a kiss on his forehead and said, “Goodnight, mate,” and walked out of his bedroom. As I was walking out of his bedroom, he said, “Dad?” I went, “Yes, mate?” He went, “Dad, this has been the best day of my life, ever.”

I hadn’t done anything, hadn’t taken him to Disney World or bought him a Playstation. Now my point is the small things matter. Being more balanced doesn’t mean dramatic upheaval in your life.