Professors Questions:
How has the pandemic affected your personal work/life balance as well as for the people you lead at work?
What are you learning in your readings that may help you improve these issues of work/life balance?
Original Post:
Work-life balance involves some restrictions and boundaries. Therefore, the leaders should provide clear professional boundaries for all employees at different levels (Morrisson,1997). These restrictions include but are not limited to lunch breaks, restricting work contacts off working hours, and limiting working hours per week. Company leaders are responsible for setting, adhering to, and promoting boundaries on work issues.
Work-life balance requires trust. Leaders need to ensure they can build reliable teams, and achieving this begins with the recruitment process. Hiring a dedicated workforce gives a leader the chance to focus on their work-life balance.
As per the bible world view, work is where God has summoned humankind to serve him and benefit others. In the worldly view, humans work hard to achieve their desired lives. In work-life balance Christian perspective knows no boundaries (Stewart,1998). God wants us to serve him with the mind, heart, and soul, while the worldview recommends limits.
Leadership efficacy impacts the leader and the group being led: a leader’s thoughts, skills, and ability to perform their work. For instance, a leader with self-efficacy will put necessary efforts into performing a given task.
Leadership motivation is essential in facilitating accountability and feedback. As a leader praises one’s ability, so they should correct mistakes. Ignoring mistakes may significantly impact an individual employee’s performance due to lost motivation. Leader motivation also creates positivity in the organization. A motivated manager will witness positive change in the organization; being optimistic about something can make it positive.
Mentorship and motivated leaders also ensure employee retention and job satisfaction (Nielson,2001). Through teamwork, the employees may be exposed to training and development opportunities. Skill development and employee training are essential aspects of the organization. Therefore, through leader motivation and mentorship, employees can earn these opportunities, thus, reducing employee turnover.
Question to my Classmates: How would you check on your peers and colleagues to ensure they find self-care and the balance between work and life? How would you be an intrusive leader?
References
Nielson, Troy R., Dawn S. Carlson, and Melenie J. Lankau. 2001. The supportive mentor as a means of reducing work-family conflict. Journal of Vocational Behavior 59, no. 3 (Dec.): 364-381.
Morrison, Elizabeth Wolfe. 1997. When employees feel betrayed: A model of how psychological contract violation develops. The Academy of Management Review, 22, no. 1: 226-256.
Stewart, D. Friedman, Perry Christensen, and Jessica DeGroot. 1998. Work and life: The end of the zero-sum game. Harvard Business Review, (Nov-Dec): 119-130.
References to use:
Morrison, Elizabeth Wolfe. 1997. When employees feel betrayed: A model of how psychological contract violation develops. The Academy of Management Review, 22, no. 1: 226-256. (31 pages)
Stewart, D. Friedman, Perry Christensen, and Jessica DeGroot. 1998. Work and life: The end of the zero sum game. Harvard Business Review, (Nov-Dec): 119-130. (9 pages)
Nielson, Troy R., Dawn S. Carlson, and Melenie J. Lankau. 2001. The supportive mentor as a means of reducing work-family conflict. Journal of Vocational Behavior 59, no. 3 (Dec.): 364-381. (18 pages) [Available in the Science Direct database]
Davis, T. 2018, May 2. Work-Life Blending: Does It Work? Psychology Today.