Introduction
The world marks International Women’s Day on the 8 March, 2023 as a celebration of “the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women”. The theme this year is #EmbraceEquity with a call to get the world talking about “why equal opportunities aren’t enough.” Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality.
In today’s era, work life balance is of utmost importance as it is directly proportional to the health and wellbeing of an individual and therefore the concept on work life balance comes in picture. Work life balance is an organizational concept that gives power to employees to split their personal and professional life in such a way that they are able to do justice to both the roles simultaneously while being able to successfully achieve their goals, and yet save time for themselves and their families. Once an individual achieves this balance, it increases their morale, thereby increasing the productivity and profit of an organization.
At our firm, as part of our own commitment towards diversity and inclusion in the workplace, we thought we’d like to explore three themes that are often, stereotypically associated with women in the workplace: work-life balance, imposter syndrome, and self-confidence. So, we introspected on what understand by work-life balance, imposter syndrome, and self-confidence, how it impacts our own lives, and how best to manage them.
Background
When “work-life balance” first appeared in use, it was in the 1980s as part of the Women’s Liberation Movement, advocating flexible schedules and maternity leaves for women. But the concept precedes the liberation movement all the way back to the Industrial Revolution. Workers averaged about 100 hours per work week, and soon social and health implications rose, particularly for children, who were also working at the time. Following several calls for reforms, the UK first agreed to fewer working hours for children and women, and the U.S. adopted the 40-hour work week with its amended Fair Labor Standards Act.
Research over the past decades established that, work life balance has increased considerable concern and attention among trade unions, employers and scholars. Since then, work-life balance has evolved to take into account both female and male workers. But questions about work-life balance continue to be disproportionately posed to women over men. Why is this?
The Problem at Hand
In most societies, work-life conflict seems to be quite high especially in case of working women. This is because in majority of societies worldwide, women have traditionally shouldered the bulk of family responsibilities and remain primarily responsible for their children and the care of the elderly. Thus, work life balance is seen more as women issue due to the traditional mindset, where the woman is considered primarily responsible for the smooth running of the day-to-day affairs of the family irrespective of her job profile and official responsibilities. This explains why managing work and family responsibilities can be very difficult for working women.
Women are often adulated for wearing many hats – working full-time jobs while managing their homes, spouses and kids simultaneously. This should apply to everyone working full-time jobs who has a family, but research shows that working moms are more likely than dads to assume more responsibilities at home. This means that more women assume multiple roles outside of their jobs while being expected to maintain the same efficiency as their male counterparts.
These responsibilities are lopsided, and the various aspects of their lives continue to bleed into each other as they attempt to manage them all. Hence the emphasis on work-life balance among women – a concept meant to ensure that a part of their lives doesn’t overshadow other, equally important parts.
The two main aspects of work – life balance focuses on satisfaction and achievement and it is inter-linked to one another. This means that when a woman is satisfied with the work conditions and is delivering to the best of her capability, she will eventually grow and achieve her set goals. This will therefore result in positive work – life balance.
My definition of a healthy work-life balance is about knowing where to draw the boundaries and when to switch off mentally from work. It’s not just about the workplace, it’s also about the individual choosing to have that confidence to say enough is enough.
In my opinion, the biggest challenge to a healthy work-life balance is trying to be everything to everyone and anyone. The struggle and the aim to provide everything for everyone leaves one with nothing in the end.
Key Issues
One of the challenges women as a governance professional now face is balancing their greater responsibilities to the work and family. With every advance women make in the professional arena, they are still expected to give 100% to their children and families. We have seen female company secretaries move forward for this very reason. They find their balance by dedicating their early career to their children and their later career to advancement, or alternatively, they postpone having children.
One of the significant demands on women in a CS firm or a company is building business and gaining clients. Feedback from partner-level or partner-track female company secretaries has been that this demand can be taxing on a CS who is also expected to be an attentive mother. The transition into the demanding partner track is far more seamless for men, as they do not bear children and generally have less of the childrearing expectation. Women also report experiencing challenges concerning being introduced to key clients or being mentored in client development. It can be exceedingly difficult to divide the time with the same equity as the male counterparts when childrearing expectations are factored in.
Ways to Have a Work-Life Balance
Today, women across the world are celebrating the brilliance of women across all walks of life. I cannot let this day pass without marking it in some way, so wanted to share my thoughts on the work / life balance. We all have had a fair share of ups and downs in our life. Here, I will share some of my ideas for the women to achieve a balance in this oscillating pendulum of work and life in the fast-paced world of today:
- Be Clear with Yourself
Be clear with yourself about why you are pursuing your chosen career and let that be your lighthouse when times are tough. Even today, whatever or whoever I am, it is all due to my alma-mater for giving me the pedestal which enabled me to pursue my dreams. I have always put my career above everything, as my career has given me a tool to empower me, and make me independent and powerful in getting the life I have always wanted – both professionally and personally.
- Let Go of Perfection
Accept that you are not going to get through your to do list, let go of perfection and focus on what matters. This is one of the biggest challenges facing high performers. There were situations, which made me think and rethink on whether to be the perfect human or the perfect professional. I needed to adjust but I didn’t know it back then. I was setting myself up to fail and instead of accepting that I could still achieve success in my career and be a good human if I lowered the expectations of myself just a little bit. Thankfully I found satisfaction in managing my affairs and these days the most important tip I give to new professionals in my circle is don’t always expect your ducks to be in a row. I haven’t given up perfection completely, I just try to focus it on where it really matters and try not to beat myself up when I don’t get it right.
- A Solution to the Problem
Believe that there is always a solution to the problem. I have had my share of personal setbacks and work challenges. There are going to be times when you feel like you are living in a house of cards and it is all going to come crashing down. I have always found a way to muddle through and come out the other end. I feel that now I can look back and draw on these setbacks and challenges and take comfort from the fact that no matter what is thrown at me, I will find a path through. It takes an open-mind and a positive outlook to do this and if you struggle, talk to people who can help you think more constructively rather than those who will lend you a sympathetic ear and tell you how awful it is. It is all in your mind.
- Things are Not Bad as they Seem
Trust that things are never as bad as they seem. I always reflect on my experiences. There were times when I thought I would never get through the stress that has blanketed me, that I would never get through the pressure of closing a big deal at work with ridiculously tight deadlines, that I would never get through supporting myself at the same time as taking on a big role at work. But I did. And there were good, positive things that came out of those experiences and lessons to learn for next time.
- Be Kind to Yourself
This is one area where I feel we all need to work. For me, this is still a work in progress and I admit to neglecting myself sometimes. However, life cannot be split just between work and family. There has to be space to look after yourself. To be truly happy with yourself, you have to look after yourself, mind and body. Always remember to take a pause and remind yourself that you don’t have to be harsh towards self, and everything will be alright in the end.
- Ask for Support
I could not do what I do without the support of my family, my associates, my colleagues and my friends. They made my life easier, whether it’s helping me manage my itinerary at work, helping with the professional work or managing related things. We are a team and it works. You have to invest in these relationships and build your networks inside and outside of work as success is never achieved by one person alone. I have also learned not to be afraid to talk to your seniors if you are struggling. One of the most wonderful things in my career is the ability to work flexibly and I am so grateful for the support and trust I receive to make that happen and it’s a joy to see so many workplaces embrace this. Back in the day, it may not have happened if I hadn’t asked for it. So be brave if you have to.
Out of the key issues and discussions arising out of work-life balance, the most important area where we have to manage is not the time, but energy. Trying to balance work and life takes active energy and effort. It is about balancing work, personal life and what women sometimes tend to overlook, our personal self. Taking time to routinely check in with your partner/family or taking a quick break to be close to nature are very effective. At the end of the day, it is more about realigning priorities – some days will be more work than play. Ruthless prioritisation at home and at work helps tremendously to manage how we devote our energy.
Conclusion
There is no quick fix to achieving work-life balance. In fact, the goal of perfect balance might often be unrealistic. But it’s clear that it’s time to take a step back and re-evaluate what is most important to each of us. We should also recognize that fighting for more sustainable working conditions for everyone will ultimately benefit those who don’t have the luxury to quit their job.
Work life balance is concerned as a vital issue nowadays for individual as well as organizations. Several factors are involved in determining the work life balance and imbalance of any individual which plays a critical role in women’s personal and professional life. It is clear from the literature above that many antecedents of work life balance are found in many studies carried out in this area. Moreover, it has been explained that better work life balance creates several positive consequences whereas imbalance between work and family of an individual holds a negative effect which is responsible for some serious issue for individual as well as for the organizations. Additional future studies are needed in non-western places using samples that are often overlooked in the literature, as well as more cross-cultural research should be conducted on this topic in the future.
