A Work-Life Balance that Works for Life - in SF
FountainBlue's January 22 When She Speaks-in-SF, Women in Leadership Series event, on the topic of A Work-Life Balance the Works for Life!. We were fortunate to have panelists representing different backgrounds, upbringings and perspectives around work, life and balance! They have each successfully grown their careers, continually reaching for new roles and positions and better education as well. Collectively, our panelists shared the following pearls of wisdom for those seeking work-life balance.
Embrace life and the opportunities in front of you with gusto. Target positions and roles where you have the skills and the passion to succeed, roles where the market values your contributions.
Be self-aware enough to know what you want, what you're good at and confident enough to keep reaching for the skills and experience so that you can succeed in those roles.
Consistently deliver to your own high standards and you will have more negotiating power on how your work gets done.
Celebrate your victories, but humbly expect that there is much more to learn from everyone around you.
Life is a journey which takes constant reflection on what's working, what's not working, and what to do about it. Set a high bar for what you want out of life, and how work fits into that framework.
Know your values and expectations. What are your non-negotiables, and where can you flex?
Make quality time with spouse and children and important others in your life a high priority, even if it means you have to leave at odd hours during the day to be there for them.
Select a company and team that would support your work-life balance perspective, and work to make little shifts in support of those you work with and for, so that those around you feel fulfilled at work.
Make a job selection based on where you are in your life, and what you want out of life. For example, if you have very young children or heavy responsibilities at home, perhaps taking on international traveling schedules would present too much stress and conflict.
Communicating your work-life balance needs and proactively negotiating to get those needs met at work is critical. Negotiating for the support you need at home is equally important, so that you can focus on what matters - having the time, energy and resources to perform at and deliver in both places.
In the end, remember that life comes first, and work can wait. But work is important, so select work that matters to you, work in which you can excel, and negotiate with your management so that work supports your current life goals. Resources:
The Start-up of You, with Reid Hoffman
Productivity Gifts, Linda Holroyd
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Please join me in thanking our gracious hosts at Yelp and our panelists!
Facilitator Linda Holroyd, CEO, FountainBlue - Coach, Adviser and Consultant
Panelist Elizabeth Brown, Chief People Officer, Unity
Panelist Wendy Jennings, Director, Employee Shareholder Services/Stock Administration, AppDynamics, Inc.
Panelist Sonia Oliveira, Director, International (Localization), Zynga
Panelist Jodie Yorg, Chief of Staff to the SVP of Revenues, Yelp