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Beat the Work/Life Balance Challenge
by
Diane Domeyer, executive director of Office Team
Striking a balance between professional and
personal commitments is a common dilemma for many of today’s administrative
professionals. Lean staff levels and rising workloads require more hours on
the job, making it difficult to juggle deadlines and dinner plans,
presentations and trips to the gym, budgets and family vacations.
If it seems there are not enough hours in the day to complete your work and
engage in outside interests, you are probably already focused on improving
your work/life balance. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving
the best of both worlds, but the following tips can help you establish a
better equilibrium between your administrative responsibilities at work and
your personal obligations:
- Negotiate a change. Many companies
today recognize that family-friendly policies help them attract and retain
talented employees. If you like your current job but need more
flexibility, see if it is possible to negotiate a compressed workweek, a
part-time position, or job-sharing or telecommuting opportunities. In your
discussion, give specific examples of how modifying your current work
situation will increase your efficiency and productivity.
- Slow down. Whenever possible,
schedule time between meetings and leave your evenings free so you can
refuel throughout and at the end of each day. Resist the urge to bring too
many projects home over the weekends. Distancing yourself from
work-related activities will give you time to recharge so you’re more
alert and productive when Monday rolls around.
- Simplify. As an administrative
professional you are constantly trying to manage and complete a variety of
projects in a short period of time. In this role, it is especially
important to identify ways to simplify your life. For example, eliminate
the clutter in your office; an organized work area will save you time
sorting through papers and allow you to work more efficiently.
- Chart goals. Take charge and
develop a prioritized list of tasks that must be accomplished each day.
Crossing off tasks as they are completed will help you avoid feeling
overwhelmed. In addition, be sure to set aside time for unforeseen events.
Having a contingency plan for emergencies will enable you to continue with
business as usual in the midst of a crisis.
- Share responsibilities. No matter
how efficient you are, there is only so much you can accomplish in one
day. If you are an executive administrative professional, make sure that
you are delegating appropriately instead of trying to do everything
yourself. Doing so will reduce your workload and help your staff build
their skills.
Remember that achieving the proper work/life
balance is an ongoing process that depends on your current goals and
responsibilities. Your success in both areas depends largely on your ability
to define a balance that works best for you, negotiating a reasonable
arrangement with your employer and accepting responsibility for making
adjustments as circumstances change.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Diane Domeyer is executive
director of OfficeTeam, the nation’s leading staffing service specializing
in the temporary placement of highly skilled administrative and office
support professionals. OfficeTeam has more than 300 locations worldwide and
offers online job search services at
www.officeteam.com.
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