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.