Meaningful Workplaces: Reframing How and Where We Work

A Different Concept of Balance

When we talk about work-life balance, we are usually referring to the idea that none of the several aspects of our life (work, family, friends, and personal) should be so out of balance that it negates any of the other aspects, as with Dolet’s study (2003), in which working mothers tend to ignore their own personal needs in favor of their work and family needs, or people whose jobs require a great deal of travel such that they neglect their family. As I said earlier, it is realistic to expect that day in day out, work may sometimes need to overshadow other aspects of one’s life. The project with a tight deadline, a critical business trip, putting time into a demanding project to be in line for a higher position, ...