The Work-Life Triangle
Our Work+Family Coaching Team share one of their coaching tools for integrating work and life to fit your values
We're going to ask you to list your must-haves - and nice-to-haves - in three areas:
1. Your work deliverables
2. Your home life, and
3. Where you are heading in your overall career and life vision.
It might sound rather a lot, but the tool is intended to give you a chance to stand back, to work out what your most vital commitments are in a changed landscape as a working parent or with a growing family.
The tool will also help you think about fresh ways you might be able to deliver your work targets; are there different working arrangements - times or places - that will deliver your role requirements just as well, while meeting home life needs and still keeping your career on track? If so, this tool will help you find those and make a case for them.
We'll take you in turn through the 3 areas of your work-life triangle. We use the
concept of a triangle because, for some people, it feels as though those three corners are pulling away from each other, in different directions. The art is to keep them together through a bit of give and take in each area.Copyright © My Family Care Ltd.
- Career & Life Goals
What are your overarching aims?
- Home Life
What are your key priorities?
- Work Deliverables
What are your key objectives?
Your Work-Life Triangle: Now reflect. What works for you?
Think through your answers to the following questions, then use the table below to plan your options.
Look at those 3 corners of your triangle
Perhaps your triangle is being pulled in different directions. Where is there some give and take? What can you let go of? What can you maximise? Where can you delegate or get more help?
Can you deliver some work targets in different ways?
This may be more or less possible depending on your role, region and so on. But where there is scope, examples might be getting your head down over a project remotely or working longer one day a week in order to be sure to get away on time on another day. Or even an informal understanding that you will leave the office at 4pm or 5pm, but log on later after your little one is in bed if your role justifies that.
If you are applying to change your working arrangements in any way, will they still deliver on your career objectives? What do you need to do to ensure that happens?
If you are considering putting forward some new arrangements or discussing a change of role or deliverables, how do those arrangements score in each area? Are they meeting more or less of the needs?
If you are making a business case for a change in your working arrangements, can you demonstrate first of all how you will deliver at work?
So often we see people start from the point of view of the care arrangements they have in place when they request flexible working. The starting point at work has to be delivering what you're there to do. If you can demonstrate that all the important things will get done, it is a much better negotiation.
Now transfer your thoughts into action
Copyright © My Family Care Ltd.
What will you take forward? When will you review?
As you take this forward, in any conversation, try to present solutions that work for your manager and work team, your home team and for you more generally. Focus on solutions rather than problems.
