Work and Family:
Finding Your Own Balance
Dr. Emily Hunter
The Feminine Mystique
October 25, 2013
PURPOSE
• Discuss why women struggle to find balance
• Empower women to set your own goals for
balancing work and family
• Judge success for yourself and your family
• Provide specific tactics to manage your work-family
boundaries
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Hours per day
Average Hours Spent in Daily Activities in 2012
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Men
Women
Work
Household
Chores
Caring for and
Helping
Household
Members
SEEKING BALANCE
Work
Work
Family
Work-Life
Merge
ENRICHMENT
• Enrichment contributes to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Positive mood
Lower distress
Higher job and family satisfaction
Better work performance
Increased perceptions of promotability by a supervisor
Improved health and well-being
• Employed women have:
• Greater financial security
• More stable marriages
• Increased life satisfaction
DIFFERENT PREFERENCES
Segmenters
Work
WorkFamily
Integrators
FINDING BALANCE
• Leverage technology
• Make specific requests about how to contact you
• Block out time
• Time to complete work without interruption or time for family
• Set clear expectations for all involved
• Can also “bank” time for later to maintain equilibrium
• Invoke triage when necessary
• Quick diagnosis based on your pre-defined priorities
FINDING BALANCE
• Find respite
• Take breaks as needed
• Do activities you prefer
• Negotiate without fear
• Work schedule flexibility
• Leaves of absence
• Time blocks
• Need more women servant leaders and mentors
• Lift up female coworkers and aid their development
CONCLUSION
• Many women today face the challenge of balance
• But working and raising a family can enrich one
another
• Determine your preferences and seek out tactics to
find your best balance
• Free yourself from comparisons!