Everybody needs a holiday!

Many senior managers and indeed employees appreciate the need for a good work-life balance but ultimately see it as being very idealistic.

The pressures placed on them often mean that they feel that they can’t afford to take a break from work but how does this impact both them and the organisation in the long run?

An unhappy nation?

In a report compiled in 2013, 78% of those questioned said that they weren’t happy with their work-life balance and it can be argued that this is primarily down to 2 main reasons.

Firstly, the increasing dependence upon technology has meant that people are contactable 24 hours a day and while this means that companies are in theory more agile and can react to events quicker, it does mean that it is hard for people of all levels of authority to shut off from the world and regroup.

The second reason is a potential lack of delegation, especially with respect to management. In numerous situations the person concerned is extremely good at their job and have the success of the company at heart but there is only so much one person can do – especially when there are deadlines to me met.

On an individual basis a poor work-life balance and lead to multiple issues including:

• Health issues with stress and weight gain being prevalent.
• An increase in conflict, both professionally and personally.
• A reduction in motivation which can affect performance.

Work-Life Balance – why it matters to business

There are a number of incentives for companies to promote a more sensible work-life balance as staff who can take a break from a frenetic workplace can bring benefits such as:

• Increased productivity
• Reduced absenteeism
• Improved punctuality
• Enhanced loyalty
• Increased turnover and profit
• Boosts morale.

There are many ways in which the work-life balance can be improved and some of them aren’t that radical:

• Actually take your entitled lunch break and holidays. Removing yourself from your work, chatting to colleagues or generally taking holidays are sometimes where the best ideas are had.
• Delegate! Trusting colleagues to undertake their job role will mean activities are completed on time and will enable you to focus on the big decisions.
• Turn off technology. As with the taking of lunch breaks, sometimes a break from the office can lead to a fresh perspective of issues. Additionally, when work started impinging on private life, relationships and friendships tend to suffer.
• Have a good nights sleep. Recharging your batteries for tomorrow is always important.
• Set realistic goals. Work usually starts to impact upon our personal life when the goals projects don’t have either the right time frame or a suitable number of participants.
• Remind yourself why you do what you do. Your reasons are your definitions of success so don’t neglect them!

The importance of ISO

While relating back to the ISO Standards, a key component of the standards is the use of formal processes and procedures.

These have been proven to make business owners and managers feel more in control and ensure everyone within the organisation is clear about what they do, whilst having the ability and authority to resolve problems quickly and effectively.

Therefore as a result, the work-life balance of both management and employees will improve because when implemented correctly they will benefit from the clarity of both the processes and procedures.

This in turn will provide senior management with the confidence that employees can comfortably complete what is asked of them.

For more information regarding how the ISO Management Standards can help improve the morale and productivity, please contact our friendly team on 019105 670 303 or alternatively, email info@isoqsltd.com.

Sources: Netsurvey & Andycore

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