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sphinxx news alert
2 September 2009 | www.sphinxx.com.au
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 Dear {tag_recipientfirstname},
Here’s what’s new at sphinxx this week:
Until next week,
Founder & The SheEO, sphinxx.com.au
Share sphinxx with a friend: We'd love you to help spread the word about sphinxx with your friends or colleagues. And if you've received this email from a friend, you can sign up for our free news alerts at www.sphinxx.com.au
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What does work-life balance mean to you?
I’m curious to know: what does work-life balance mean to you? Is it important, a nice to have or a must have? Is it something you value enough to forego something else - like promotional prospects or pay?
I got thinking about this after reading an article in the Australian Financial Review a couple of weeks ago citing a survey by Beaton Consulting in which 1164 partners and staff at 34 small to large law firms: a whopping 31% of respondents said they really cared only about work and making piles of money. So much so they claim not to be attracted by promises of work-life balance or a nice working environment - they’re in if for the challenge and the cold hard cash.
But what about you - is it something you look for in a workplace or a job? Work life balance is a key priority for me and it’s a good thing too. I’m in for a crazy busy week.... with the Diversity on Boards tomorrow and Thursday morning, then speaking at a businesswomen’s symposium on Thursday afternoon before flying to Melbourne that night for our first sphinxx development day there on Friday. Fortunately it’s not always like this - or I’d be burnt out in no time. My balance comes from being able to spend enough time on all the things that are important to me - though I tend to do it in “chunks” rather than in the form of a regular schedule.
As far as I can remember, I’ve always been like this. And it’s always worked for me. I sort of go hard when I need to, and take the foot off the pedal when I can. When I worked in a global consulting firm and afterwards in my own consulting practice, this was important because I could respond to the peaks and troughs in the work without burnout.
As an employee, my balance came from the relationships I shared with my friends, family and colleagues, as well as several hobbies and interests outside of work. I’ve always had a number of things that are equally important to me in terms of the way I spend my time - and work is just one of them. I refer to this as having a multi-dimensional life - a concept familiar to many working women - and I think this reflects the way I focus my time better than the term work-life balance. Particularly as several of my interests have now become business pursuits - so while I’m often generating income, the different streams are all enjoyable and bring a complete change of scenery from one another.
Take the farm for instance. I’m just back in the city and the office today after a few days in the fresh country air and it feels like I’ve been on a vacation. My husband - a.k.a. ‘Dr Dolittle’ - has a new pet lamb and between it and the beagles there was plenty of entertainment over the weekend. We also spent the weekend handing over a couple of donkey foals to their new owners and tagging about 60 new lambs - it’s hard work but there’s so many distractions I have no choice but to switch off. Of course it helps that there’s no mobile phone signal at the farm either!
Mine is a fairly unorthodox form of work-life balance, but the main thing is there’s more in my life than work. What is also true is that I’m generating less income than I did in my last executive role: less but more, if you take into account the other forms of currency my portfolio career now generates.
So going back to my opening question - I’m curious to know: what does work-life balance mean to you? Is it important, a nice to have or a must have? Is it something you value enough to forego something else - like promotional prospects or pay?
Click here to post your comments here on The SheEO Blog and let’s open up this debate...
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Suited for Work - Sydney dinner on 7 September
Suited For Work is an incorporated, not for profit association run by volunteers. It provides appropriate clothing and styling advice for women who may be seeking to re-enter the workforce after a period of unemployment or women who may need to dress formally for a range of other situations. Suited For Work can also provide support in terms of building confidence for a job interview, resume writing assistance or simply a friendly, supportive environment for women who may just need a little extra help to move forward.
sphinxx subscribers are invited to the third SFW dinner for 2009 on September 7 - click here to find out more.
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sphinxx events for senior women in business
Our first Ascend development day in Melbourne on Friday 4th September has sold out - apologies to those who missed out, but rest assured we’ll be back in touch soon with details of the next Ascend development day for senior women in business.
In the meantime you can register for Take the Lead, our sphinxx Group Mentoring program that gives businesswomen access to female role models and the unique opportunity to tap into their experiences in a Q&A forum. Join us in person or by webinar for our next Take the Lead with guest mentor Cassandra Kelly, Joint CEO of Pottinger on 22nd September - click here to find out more and register your attendance.
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Beyond Blue depression checklist available online
I received a flyer in my letterbox the other day from Beyond Blue with a simple depression checklist. It occurred to me that in the current climate, with people having survived redundancies, lost jobs or had their hours reduced, there’s many people operating on turbo charged stress levels that could lead to depression related illnesses. This is true for women as much as men.
This simple checklist includes a list of symptoms to look out for - such as weight loss or gain, sleep disturbence, feeling worthless or excessively guilty. If there’s someone you’re concerned about, you can click here to access the online checklist.
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Work in style - win a brand new executive chair worth $520
Have you had the chance to look around our new website now? Do you know someone who would benefit from all the free advice and giveaways we've sourced for you?
We’re receiving new emails and signups for our sphinxx alerts every day... but to realise our own goal of 5,000 subscribers in 2009 we need you to help us reach more successful women so we can help them to be more successful.
Tell 5 of your friends about sphinxx and you’ll have the chance to win an FX executive chair valued at $520 from Frontline Office Furniture.
You'll be working in style if you win this one... and supporting other women in business in the process. Click here to find out more.
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