Finding balance in work and life'

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Chasing a Unicorn  

• Finding balance in work and life.

Carol S. Hackerott Director, Residential
Life Fort Hays State University
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What is balance?

• BALANCE
• ACTIVITIES AND REST ALIGN TO PROVIDE REGULAR
  REGENERATION
• FOCUS
• LEVEL OF ATTENTION AND ENERGY DEVOTED TO A
  PARTICULAR ACTIVITY OR GOAL/OBJECTIVE

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REGINA VS. THE SQUIRREL
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Exercise One

• Determining Your Personal Values

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Exercise Two

• Calendar Workshop

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Why Women are the Masters of the ART of Leadership

• 1. More likely to consult with others when
  developing strategies
• 2. Typically have a greater natural tendency to
  deal comfortably with multi-tasking
• 3. Typically have fewer competitive tendencies
  and often seek a more collaborative approach
• 4. Tend to focus more on the big picture when
  developing strategies
• 5. Tend to stress relationship building as well
  as fact gathering
• 6. More likely to talk through business
  approaches and incorporate the ideas of others
  before making final decisions

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COMMITTEE OF THE OVERWHELMED

• WE ARE PERPETUALLY TRYING TO CATCH UP
• MULTI-TASKING ONCE VALUED AS A PRODUCTIVITY TOOL
  MORE OFTEN THAN NOT CREATES A SENSE OF ACTIVITY
  WHILE ACTUALLY DECREASING OUTPUT
• THE UNIMPORTANT AND TRIVIAL CONSUME THE TIME WE
  SHOULD DEVOTE TO WHAT WE DECLARE MEANINGFUL

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MULTI-TASKING

• 20 40 OF A WORKERS PRODUCTIVITY IS EATEN BY
  TASK SWITCHING
• LAG TIME REQUIRED TO MENTALLY RE-ENGAGE WHEN
  SHIFTING FROM ONE TASK TO ANOTHER
• (UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, 2005)

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STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE FOCUS
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ESTABLISH AN AGENDA

• WHATS ON YOUR TO-DO LIST THATS HELPING YOU
  GET WHERE YOU WANT TO BE
• If You Dont Know Where Youre Going, Youll
  Probably End Up Somewhere Else David Campbell

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PLAN FOR THE MINUTIA

• SCHEDULE EMAIL
• PHONE CALLS

• CATCHING UP WITH COLLEAGUES
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• PRIORITIZE!!!!

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Time

• You cant inject more time into your life. The
  challenge for all of us is to put more life into
  our time
• Mark Sanborn

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LIVE INTENTIONALLY

• Focus attention and care on each moment
• Defining moments vs. commemorative moments

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LIFES MOMENTS

• COMMEMORATIVE MOMENTS
• Graduation
• Wedding
• Retirement

• DEFINING MOMENTS
• Showing up for class
• Skipping the party to study
• Leaving a little love note in the sock drawer
• Laughing at those lousy jokes
• Showing up for work
• Contributing to something worthwhile

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CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE

• OR THE PROPER CARE AND FEEDING OF A UNICORN

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ELIMINATE ACTIVITIES THAT DONT ADD VALUE

• IDENTIFY YOUR MVP ACTIVITIES
• Most Valuable and Profitable
• 6-8 activities per day..MAKE A LIST
• Devote 60-80 of your time to those activities

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ACTIVITY VS. ACCOMPLISHMENT

• (Were back to that core value thing again)
• Accomplishment begins with a simple commitment
  each day to improve the lives of those you
  interact with---Mark Sanborn

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A Word from James A. Autry, author

• Foundation of Ethics
• "Be"ing first, then "Do"ing
• What is done externally is determined by what is
  internal
• Balance is "in" life and word, not "between"
• Most powerful tools are our words
• Five Ways of Being
• Be authenticdo what you say you will do
• Be vulnerableadmit mistakes
• Be presentgive people the time of day
• Be acceptingideas are valid discussion
• Be usefulgive service

• Five Ways of Being
• Be authenticdo what you say you will do
• Be vulnerableadmit mistakes
• Be presentgive people the time of day
• Be acceptingideas are valid discussion
• Be usefulgive service
• Translating Being Into Doing
• As situations or decision come along, ask
  yourself
• "So what?" and "Now what?" and "Then what?"
• Is our style different at work and home?
• Do those around us wonder what we mean?
• Are relationships truly valued?

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Extreme Expectations Set You Up For Injury

• REASONABLE lt------------------------gt EXTREME
• STRETCHING lt------------------------gt
  PRESSING
• Never celebrate successes
• Never feel fulfilled---immediately focused on the
  next target
• Tense
• Exhausted
• Burned out
• An extreme inner critic will leave you with no
  energy

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Some General Hackisms

• How to recognize when your values are being
  challenged
• You begin to rationalize your decision/action
• its not illegal
• the end justifies the means
• its important to the organizaton or the
  organization supports it
• my boss expects it
• no one will know
• You find yourself doing and/or saying things you
  swore you would never do or say.
• The feeling of dread and/or despair enters your
  lifestyle
• Do you have trouble getting out of bed to start
  your day because you stayed up too late or
  because of what is waiting for you behind door
  number one?
• If you become so philosophically opposed to what
  your organization is doing or you are being asked
  to do individually that dread and despair are
  constant companions--stop picking up the paycheck
  and move on.

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MAKE AN IMPACT ON SOMEBODY

• Your client or customer who was in a pinch and
  needed your immediate attention.
• Your child who wanted you to read a story while
  you were preparing for the next business day.
• The stranger who wished you a good morning at the
  coffee shop.

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FIND THE PONY IN THE MANURE
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LIMITLESS BOUNDARIES

• You have within you more resources of energy
  than have ever been tapped, more talent than has
  ever been exploited, more strength than has ever
  been tested, more to give than you have ever
  given.
• John Gardner
• former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare

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Chasing a Unicorn  

• Finding balance in work and life.

Carol S. Hackerott Director, Residential
Life Fort Hays State University