going beyond work-life as struggle · going beyond work-life as struggle: creating a life with...

April 3, 2019 - KU Staff Summit

Angela N. Gist-Mackey, Ph.D.

Going Beyond Work-Life as Struggle:Creating a Life with Work, Family, & Renewal

Polling: http://etc.ch/sRAw

• DUAL APPOINTMENTS

KU Edwards and Lawrence Campuses

• PROGRAMS

Professional Workplace Communication grad certificate

Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral programs

• RESEARCH

social class, social mobility, identity, organizational

culture, power

• TOPICS OF INTEREST

job search communication, networking, power

imbalances, blue-collar/white-collar workplace

communication, unemployment

Facilitator:Angela Gist-Mackey, Ph.D.

Today’s Objectives

• Defining Key Terms

• Historical Emergence

• Increase awareness about role conflict

• Implications of stress, burnout

• Strategies for better managing work/life integration

• Advocating for better support

Definition: Work/Life Balance

•A state of equilibrium in which the demands of both a person’s job and personal life are equal.

Historical Emergence

•Kanter’s (1977)

•Work and Family in the United States: A Critical Review and Agenda for Research and Policy

Q: When you hear

the phrase

‘work/life balance’

what comes to

mind first?

a) Work/Family Conflict

b) Work/Life Management

c) Family Friendly Benefits

d) Work/Life Programs or Initiatives

e) Work/Family Culture

Audience Poll

Voting Here: http://etc.ch/sRAw

Reprioritizing

• 82% of men and 85% of women ages 20 to 39 placed family time at the top of their work/life priorities.

• 90% of working adults said they are concerned they do not spend enough time with their families.

Expanding Family Meaning

• Traditional: heterosexual, married couple with biological children

• Family now includes: • Childfree employees

• Single parents & Co-parents

• Blended families

• Same-sex marriages

• Adoption

• Grandparents/children

• Elder care

• No biological tie

• Pets

Women in the Workforce

•Mommy Track

•Co-provider

•Second Shift

•Working-Mom Paradox

PepsiCo CEO – Indra Nooyi

Negotiating Work & Home

• Needs of older and younger women/men differ

• Child care, elder care, self care

• Family-friendly programs

• Creation of culture that values various aspects of employee’s lives

• Personal and interpersonal challenges

Stress, Burnout, & Social Support

Stressors

Burnout

Outcome

Antecedents to Burnout

• Technology & Virtual Working

• Role Conflict & ambiguity

• Emotional labor

• Emotional contagion v. empathic concern for helping professions

Dysfunctional Reactions

• Substance Use/Abuse:• Drinking

• Drugs

• Overeating

• Checking Out:• Absenteeism

• Presenteeism

• Behavioral:• Passive aggressive behavior

• Lack of sleep or sleeping too much

• Communication withdrawal

• Defensiveness

Q: Which

work-a-holic

behaviors

have you

exhibited?

a) You work longer than

your colleagues

b) You can’t “turn off”

c) Your body feels unwell

d) Your relationships are strained

e) You tie self-worth to your

occupational success

Audience Poll

Voting Here: http://etc.ch/sRAw

Nigel Marsh: How to Make Work/Life Balance Work

Balance as a Myth

in·te·grate ˈin(t)əˌɡrāt/

Verb gerund or present participle: integrating

1.combine (one thing) with another so they become whole.•combine (two things) so they become whole.•(of a thing) combine with another to form a whole.

2.bring (people or groups with particular characteristics or needs) into equal participation in or membership of a social group or institution.

Work/Life Integration

Coping Strategies

Strategies:

• Problem-centered: dealing directly

• Appraisal-centered: changing thoughts

• Emotion-centered: managing negative feelings

Types of Coping

• Physical

• Intellectual/Creative

• Spiritual

• Support Systems

Q: Which

healthy coping

strategy do

you use most?

Audience Poll

Voting Here: http://etc.ch/sRAw

Burnout Prevention

• Begin relaxing rituals.

• Adopt healthy eating, exercising, & sleeping habits.

• Set boundaries.

• Take daily technology breaks.

• Nourish your creativity.

• Learn how to manage stress.

Source:

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm

Self-Care: Advocating for Needs

• Sleep

• Personal Time

• Reciprocity

• Physical Movement/Exercise

• Order & Planning

• Financial Security

• Being Social, Relationships

• Recognition for Achievement

• Variety & Experience

• Structured Time

• Time alone

• Territory

• Belonging

• Competition

• Learning

• Anticipation

• Arts

• Physical contact

• Spontaneity

• Unstructured Time

Adapted from:

Six Habits of Happiness

Types of social support:

• Emotional

• Informational

• Instrumental

• Appraisal

Types of supporters:

• Supervisors

• Coworkers

• Friends

• Family

Communicative Coping

Compassionate Communication

• Miller (2007)

• Process of compassionate communication

RespondConnectNotice

Coping Strategies – 3Rs

• Recognize – Watch for the warning signs of burnout

• Reverse – Undo the damage by managing stress and seeking support

• Resilience – Build resilience to stress by taking care of your physical & emotional health

Source: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm

OrganizationalBenefits

• Employee time saved

• Employee retention

• Better recruitment

•Decreased health care costs and stress-related illnesses

•Decreased absenteeism

Employee Assistance Programs

• KU’s EAP: https://wellness.ku.edu

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Employee Assistance Programs: http://www.health.org/../workplace/fedagencies/employee_assistance_programs.aspx

• Society for Human Resource Management: http://www.shrm.org/surveys

• Employee Assistance Professionals Association: http://www.eapassn.org

• The Online EAP Directory: http://www.eap-sap.com/eap/

• Elder Focus: http://www.edlerfocus.com

• Labor Project for Working Families: http://violet.berkeley.edu/~iir/workfam/home.html

Resources

Resources

Work/Life Balance Integration

• Strive for better integration of: work/school, home/family, Community, Self

•www.myfourcircles.com

Better Work-Life Integration

• Let go of perfectionism

•Unplug

• Exercise

•Meditate

• Limit Time Wasting Activities/People

• Start Small & Build from There

Assess Your Stress

• Weekly evaluation of stress

• Develop an active plan to mitigate stress

• Communicate your needs

• Identify your social support network

• Online Quiz: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/take_quiz/stress_and_anxiety

Recap

• Defining Key Terms/Ideas

• Historical Emergence/Evolution

• Increase awareness about role conflict

• Implications of stress and burnout

• Strategies for better managing work/life integration

• Advocating for better support

“We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.”

- Michelle Obama

Visit Us Onlinehttp://edwardscampus.ku.edu/link-and-learns

• April: The Ties that Bind: How to Build a Workplace Culture that Generates Organizational Commitment & Employee Engagement

Thurs. April 18 at 11 a.m.

• May: Office Humor and Communication: When “I’m Just Being Funny” Crosses the Line

Thurs. May 16 at 11 a.m.

• June: Politics at Work -Navigating Name-calling, Nastiness, and Negativity in Uncivil Times

Thurs. June 20 at 11 a.m.