Coaching Obsession: Recommendations for Managing the Work Life Balance: Part 2.

In Part two of this article I will talk about methods of creating a healthy balance between work and life which can be applied to your own practice.

Compartmentalisation

Psychological research has looked at differing ways in which individuals balance their ‘work’ and ‘life’. Ollson-Buccanon and Boswell claim that individuals operate their work-life balance between two positions of either work integration or work segmentation[1]. The first position occurs when both work and family life operate within the same environment, whilst the second position is where an individual compartmentalises each aspect of their life. Many coaches operate well within the first position; often coaches are quoted as having difficulty ‘switching off’ and have frequently reported issues with not being able to disconnect with the work environment[2][3]. Ashforth argues that a work environment where there is a lack of boundaries between work and personal life creates issues associated with an individual’s personal identity when changing between roles, which ultimately creates conflict [4]. The Ashforth paper presents the following quote from DeLong & DeLong;

‘’When I come home and try to get involved with my family I have a difficult time switching from my cognitive, directive management style to a more emotional, cooperative one. The very things I'm paid to do well at work create disaster for me at home’’.

This resonates with many of the descriptions already referenced in this article. Loneliness in leadership is a well-established phenomenon where individuals can isolate themselves from family and friends[5]. This type of isolation may be to some degree necessary when dealing with subordinates in the work environment. However, it can create obvious tensions when this is carried across to home life. Furthermore, isolating one's emotional side has been frequently linked with depression and is quoted as a leading contributor to depression amongst CEO’s[6].

Four Squares Grid

Certain research suggests a level of disengagement with each sphere of life can promote a healthier work-life balance [7][8]. Psychologists recommend various techniques that enable an individual to visually compartmentalise different aspects of their lives to lessen integration between the two spheres. One of the methods I have personally used is called the four squares grid. This was recommended to me by Burnley Physio, Jen Lacey, and the guide for how to use this is described below:

1. Start by filling in the ‘YOU’ section of the box. This section effectively details yourself as you would describe yourself. Examples might include: Hard working, kind, loyal, successful etc.

2. Goals. There are various ways you can set out the goals section but it is important to set out long-term and short-term goals. In this section, it is better to leave out the specific career and family goals and focus on what you think you would like. For example, you might want ‘’to feel more confident in every day situations’’ or you might like certain material things that you think could add to your own wellbeing.

3. Career. Within this section, it is worth first outlining the goals for your career and the specific steps you think you will need to take to achieve that. This is obviously going to be very different depending on what your profession is but a specific example can be seen in my own version below.

4. Family/Relationships. In a similar vein to the career, you can also talk about your goals for your personal relationships in this section. e.g. ‘’not losing touch with old friends’’. Rather than plan the exact ways in which to do that, it is important to bare in mind these activities when planning your week. For example, when using the above example how many times do you contact or speak to old friends? Is this something you consistently plan for in your week/month?

Below is my own example:

Once you have your grid, the final step before application is to note down the activities that provide you with happiness. These activities can be split into actions that provide immediate happiness and those that provide delayed happiness. Activities that give you immediate happiness are ones that will give you an immediate feeling of contentment, for example, listening to music or watching one of your favourite TV shows. Examples of this might include going for drinks with friends or having dinner with the family. Various real world examples can be seen of this, for instance, Richard Cockerill of Leicester Tigers is a keen Yoga enthusiast [10], whereas Arizona Cardinals Head Coach, Bruce Arians, likes to spend time out on his boat claiming ‘‘I could not make it through the season without this [11]’’.

Activities that give you a long term feeling of happiness may be ones that contribute more meaningfully to your own goals particularly the ‘YOU’ and ‘Family/Relationships’ section. These type of activities have long lasting benefits. Activities that reinforce personal relationship are particularly useful to include in this section as these relationships may support you and provide benefits outside the activity itself. Both of these sections are crucial to consider in order to maintain personal health and avoid burnout, I have shown some of my own below:

The final step is to incorporate this all in to your own schedule or calendar. It is critical for the exercise to be effective to make time for each aspect of the grid and to plan in ‘down-time’ doing things that will help you to switch off and recharge. The next thing is to make sure that this plan is followed strictly do not push out all your own personal time for other activities if you know that may be the only occasion of the week you have to unwind. Obviously the exact specific of planning this will vary for each person but as a helping hand I have included my own activities list for the next few months which also gives me certain options which allow a more flexible approach to managing my time.

Key

Red- Unflexible work commitment

Yellow- Flexible work commitment

Blue-Immediate or Delayed Happiness Activity

I am still not sure whether this balance is the right or wrong amount for me. However, this strategy of planning time has massively helped me personally to enjoy the time away from work and has allowed me to concentrate more on my other activities. This may not be the answer for everybody, but I think it offers a good starting point for an individual to adapt and mould around their individual needs. Give it a go and see if it works for you! Feedback always welcome.