Generation Y Speaks Blog
by Clinton Hodgkins
AELC External & Community Relations Manager
Started work at 16 through food & hospitality, cabinet making, mining, sales and then management at Harvey Norman working at 5 different stores in Australia and NZ. Clint is a part-time professional drummer, homeowner and engaged with a child.
| Being Connected and Work Life Balance |
|
I wrote a blog recently on being connected and how important it was to me. I spoke on how all the communications technology helped to organise me so that I could work efficiently in hectic times. Now I want to talk about how this effects my work life balance. A work week for me could involve 6am starts, then events and meetings through to 10pm some evenings. Nothing in my week is a set thing. From week to week my work schedule changes to fit with these external events. I have a partner and a baby whom I like to spend time with and other commitments like sport, friends and music etc. The only way I am able to manage this is by having flexibility with my working hours. Through being connected wherever I am I can stay in touch with my work colleagues, keep track of my emails and follow my calender. This allows me to manage my work load and personal life effectively. Sure not everything will go my way but most if the time I am able to fit everything in. This is possible only because of my flexible work arrangement. The criterion for my job is as long as it gets done, we don't mind when you do it. I can spend 4 hours in the middle of the day with my partner and baby or knock off from work early to go out with some friends - even have a sleep in if I'm feeling a bit exhausted. It seems to me that people get confused about work life balance. To me work life balance isn't starting work at 9am finishing at 5pm and then going home and forgetting about work until tomorrow. I think it's about working to suit you. Sure I may check and reply to emails at 10pm at night, write a blog and check my appointments for tomorrow. This is a great time to do it for me as there are no disturbances. Emails aren't coming in every 5 minutes, the phone's not ringing and colleagues aren't talking to you. A job which can seemingly take forever during the day is completed in no time at all at 10pm in the evening. The flexibility of my job is what keeps me in control of my life and being connected anywhere I am enables me to perform my job successfully.                       |