Issue #7 - Work-life balance aka work-life integration?

How to navigate through post covid and hybrid working apocalypse.

Agile Admiral - Gabor Stramb

Apr 07, 2023

Work-life balance aka work-life integration?

Read time: 4 minutes

Today’s newsletter at a Glance:

No work-life balance!
Tuckman's Ladder is something we all know
Certifications - Useful posts which will help you with exam prep.

No work-life balance!
or
Work-life balance aka work-life integration?

How to navigate through post covid and hybrid working apocalypse.

The past years changed the way we do things. People are working more in the home office than ever before.
You start meetings at 7:30AM and by 7PM you are still checking emails.
If you don't have a small room(your own office) you cannot lock the door and leave the work inside.
Hence, you run meetings from the kitchen or living room or your son's room :-)

But, still, you can find the right boundaries.

This is how I try to manage this:

✅ Be clear where the lines are drawn. If you’re working, you’re working, so try not to get distracted with personal stuff. The same applies for home life.

✅ Be efficient. Use time effectively. Delegate more but stay in control.

✅ Try to do time-boxing and prioritization.

✅ The 20/80 rule. 20% percent of the work gets 80% of the result.

✅ Don't shut for Perfection. Perfection can make things worse and just creates unnecessary work.

How do you manage work-life balance? Comment your "way" below.

as per the picture, credits to Robert Katai

Tuckman's Ladder for Team Development

Tuckman's Ladder is something that we refer to all the time, it shows that as your team develops, it moves through four stages: forming, storming, norming, and performing. By working through these stages - which may not happen in a linear way - your team members will be able to build more effective relationships and become better able to collaborate with each other. As an added benefit, your leadership style will become more collaborative too.

Forming: uncertainty, nervousness, curiosity and enthusiasm
Storming: frustration, conflict, and competition
Norming: cooperation, supportiveness and problem-solving
Performing: creativity, innocation and delivery
Adjourning: reflection, accomplishment and disbanding

Forming

In this stage, the team members are like independent entities; no bond with others, and responsibilities are clear. Your role as a leader is to make efforts and let them mingle and introduce with frequent meetings. Team members are positive, polite, anxiousm, excited.

Storming

In this stage, team members start to voice their opinions and ideas, which can lead to conflicts and disagreements. There may be a struggle for leadership and authority as the team tries to establish its hierarchy and dynamics.

Norming

Moving to the third stage, the team starts to find their rhythm. Members begin to understand their role, the work and each other. People become more comfortable, and any disputes about structure, hierarchy and ways of doing things start to lessen as you all settle into your roles - whether willingly or as the result of compromise!

Team members have figured out how to best work with one another more effectively, and have found and accepted ways to behave, and you can work together to develop team processes. Conflicts are resolved, and people understand that differences of opinion are useful, and a new respect for each other develops as individual strengths are recognised and you can get past differences. The team comes together on a common goal and make progress on a project.

Performing

You will see the maximum possible effects on your team at this stage. All the issues are resolved, and the team is fully involved in the project goals and organizational objectives. Here, you will see the fruit of your efforts in making that structure. Work leads without friction, no resistance. In the performing stage, you feel easy to be part of the team, and you can easily accommodate new people and makes no difference if some leave at this stage. Now, you can start to focus on other goals and areas of work.

Adjourning

In this stage, the team has completed their project, and they are ready to move on to their next assignment. The team members may feel a sense of loss as they say goodbye to each other, especially if they have worked together for a long time.