Loud Thinking

Be a Work-Life Role Model

Everyone struggles to find the right balance between work and life. As a manager, how you personally handle this challenge influences your team members. They are looking to you for signs of what they can and should do. Here is how you can set a good example:

Be open. Talk candidly about your own challenges and strategies for fitting together your work, family, and personal life. Let your employees see you as more than just a person who works.

Appreciate others as whole people. Respect the fact that everyone you work with has a life beyond work. Encourage people to talk about their non-work activities with colleagues.

Be willing to experiment. Ask people about what would help improve their ability to achieve work results while also increasing their well-being beyond work. When employees are involved in designing and implementing solutions, they’re more committed to making them work.

Adapted from “The Ripple Effects You Create as a Manager,” by Monique Valcour