I was going to include that nobody will ever remember how hard you worked, but if the article is aimed at management too it might not go down well.
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I let the data put the management on the spot, no hiding place.
people who have small fiefdoms like to retain their own inadequacy.
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Excellent offering, Bretwick!
Your anecdote about your work-related is highly engaging and relatable, but I agree that the purpose is unclear and does not
Presuming it is the latter, the end of your anecdote calls for a stronger thesis, something akin tom “After that accident, I realized that my full-throttle approach to work perilously risked productivity, health, and safety of myself and others. That experience exemplified that a balance between work and quality is not only essential to a healthy, happy, and successful life, it results in better performance and productivity in the workplace.”
I like Annie’s approach to more broad ideas in which encourages the employee to be reflective and identify for themselves, the specifics of what works for them. Otherwise it just becomes a laundry list. Create a framework of broad suggestions, explain what worked for you, and then challenge readers to develop a plan that works for them.
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I was self-employed for the last 10 years of my job. Not much work-life balance but it didn’t seem to matter much because I enjoyed the job. Some hours off of course but long hours spent in the workshop, often until bedtime. Spring into life in the early morning and out to the workshop with an idea to follow up before going out and visiting customers.
Then Mrs mart got knocked down by a car and couldn’t look after anything. I eventually gave up the job to become her carer. Life isn’t bad now but we aren’t able to do many things that others can do easily. Life is settled and settled-for these days. Hard to say what the work-life balance is now because the two run side by side.
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For me it was a single take at it - just my life as an Electrical Engineer and that was it. Boring one might say ? That it was not. I travelled extensively which I (mostly) enjoyed. Work - balance? Nah!
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For 30 years I was a commercial laundry engineer, travelling extensively in the north east of England although I did occasionally go further afield, we operated an on call system every six weeks so not too bad, the company was sold but mainly kept the existing staff, sold again in 2015, up to then work life balance was ok, not too many late nights and weekend work ( rarely on a Sunday) one in six for breakdowns only, then, the company that took over in 2015 had a bad rep in the industry, we still operated the one in six on call, but you had to go out and do general jobs, both Saturdays and Sundays, they expected at least one bank holiday per year when you worked, we were expected to do 2 sales leads per week, ( I’m no salesman) plus the jobs were on a time basis, ie, we had to attend within 8 working hours, the equipment we worked on was sometimes up to 20 years old, with several different pieces of kit from washing machines, dishwashers, soap dosing , bed pan washers , roller irons ect, none of which I had any training on…two man jobs were frowned upon as you were expected to just do it on your own, imagine lifting a dryer that was stacked on top of a washing machine ( were not talking the stuff you have in your home) , I found it very stressful, and I was not alone, quite a few left after I did, the turning point for me was I was able to access some of my pension, this enabled me to leave and find something else, I’ve been working in a nursing home for five years now, carrying out the maintenance in the home, it’s much less stressful and so enjoyable, I wish I’d done it earlier…
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I think the passage needs breaking up into smaller paragraphs. Possibly even with a few relevant clipart images inserting to make it more attractive. At the moment, I think the unbroken style puts a reader off reading the entire content.
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My input here would be stand up and read your post out loud to someone and then preferably get that person to read it back to you. Does it engage the person you are reading it to and indeed does it engage yourself when heard outloud.
To me looking back over the years of work I would say a good work life balance consists of
- Not worrying about work when at home.
- If work worries stop you from eating sleeping or engaging those you love then you are toipping the scales the wrong way.
- Can you turn your phone off from work contacts and not worry the place will fall down?
If the answer to the latter two is Yes then you are tipping the scales the wrong way.
A person I used to work wih when I was younger and “carefree with my time” once said to me one day you will stand at a colleagues funeral and see their family crying not the company. And that came true on two occasions for me. Then I changed
So if I ever wrote asmilar article it would be titled around that last sentence who will cry at your grave? your employer will replace you within the month (if not before) your family never will, so who deserves your time.
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Top post Kazz…
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Thank you
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I am inserting a picture of my crashed vehicle, the 8 - 8 - 8 flag and a Bearded Dragon .
This will then go to the editor for approval or otherwise.
600 words, give or take 20.
If published I will post it here. The Small Talk magazine will next be published in February.
Good advice.
Thank you for taking the time to offer suggestions.
I will give them some thought.
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Thank you.
I will take your advise and revise my piece then send it to the editor.
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Let us know how you get on and sure it will be published
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The news letter is next published in February.
If published, I will post it here.
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This all reminds me of this so-called “Work/Home balance” which was often thrown about when I was working. I think nearly everyone thought it was a load of rubbish as my employer had no compunction about calling me out at all hours, expecting me to drive two hundred miles, sometimes two or three times over a weekend or lay the responsibility of several million pounds worth of asset on my narrow shoulders, which physically took it’s toll over me and was starting to feel the effects of stress and sleepless nights as a result. Then they suddenly wondered why I suddenly put my notice in and retired.
All this Work-home balance nonsense was just lip-service without meaning or substance and just something they would fall back on in the event of covering themselves having induced sickness caused by stress of their employees. They were only interested in the work getting done, even if (in my case) I was getting chest pains and ended up in hospital for ECG a few times as a result of it all.
For some strange reason, the moment I handed in my notice, all my physical symptoms which had been steadily increasing over the years suddenly vanished. Of course, I’m only citing my experiences derived from my particular set of circumstances. But (in my case) the simple answer would have been to employ more people and of a higher calibre, paying the appropriate rate for the job. If that were the case, things would have been a lot easier all round, as it would have spread the demands the job imposes and allow pressure of work to ease off those individuals who have to carry the weight of work demands. As I was an Engineer/Manager, I had to pick up the shortfall there was of staff which meant less time managing people and more time involved with the techy stuff, which wasn’t strictly in my remit of work, but had to be done regardless as there was no one else to do stuff.
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Well done Brett.
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I can’t help you, I’ve been retired for nearly two decades, my work-life balance is perfect.
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I put a website together ages ago (no longer online) and this is a page from it. The screenshot is a bit small but I hope it might be possible to see the graphic dividers and red bold headings (zoom in a little). The page is divided up even though it is all about the same subject (dog versus TV engineer stories).
It’s no masterpiece and perhaps not even an interesting subject but I thought it just gave the page per se a more interesting look. This might not work in a printed book I suppose but good in a webpage.
Maybe that’s not what you are after though?
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