From the CEO – Flexible workplace strategies

Work-life balance and stress management are becoming (if not already) a major factor for employers as well as employees as we seek to achieve a sense of balance between work and our personal life. Having just become a grandfather for the first time (yes, little Isabella Rose Infanti was born in October last year) and having also enjoyed a longer than usual break over the Christmas period my personal life has undergone a few changes. One thing I have noticed though is that I am stress-free and looking forward to my 2016 work life with a much different attitude to before I went on leave in December.

Whilst a good break and good family news will do that for most people, the challenge now is: how do I maintain a good work-life balance through the course of the year so these positive feelings and energy are translated to better work productivity, focus and higher levels of job satisfaction and effectiveness?

I think the key factor here is to always have little things to look forward to on both sides. Having clear work goals and helping to build a business where “having fun” and “working smart” are two core values has been an important first step. Also, developing a workplace culture that is flexible and responsive to the needs of employees, whilst at the same time not compromising productivity and output, is something that we have been putting in place the past few years.

Developing a flexible work strategy will assist in the attraction and retention of staff. A workplace culture that is responsive to the needs of staff who want to work flexibly is a good outcome. However, this is not an easy process to implement. Trust needs to be established with employees; clear key performance measures should be in place so that outcomes become the most important factor. Implementing policies and guidelines that meet current legislation, having good communication mechanisms in place, and evaluating the success of your strategy are all issues that will need to be addressed.

If it is possible, though, flexibility in the workplace can be a very effective tool to improve performance and achieve a sense of balance between the work life and the personal life for your staff. Benefits of this to both parties are reduced stress levels, greater focus and concentration, higher levels of job satisfaction, better productivity, higher levels of morale, and more positive attitudes. Surely this has got to result in improved business performance.

One thing I haven’t mentioned is a combination of work and personal life. I am lucky to have built many good friendships with our members over the years and having these relationships is one of the reasons I love my job and love getting up and coming to work every day. Whether it be a weekend BBQ lunch, a few beers down the pub, or a game of golf, I would encourage more social interaction with your “customers” because it is extremely satisfying.

Now back to the personal life. Less stress, the opportunity to participate more fully in family and social life, more time to pursue personal goals and hobbies, and improved health are all benefits of a healthy work-life balance.

I have things to look forward to over the coming months. Seeing my gorgeous Isabella roll and crawl is something I can’t wait for. Taking my beautiful wife to see The Sound of Music is booked and, of course, for those that know me well, golf weekends to Barnbougle and Rich River are already organised.

Whilst I have talked a bit about myself and that is not very exciting, this article is meant to be thought-provoking. If you have not implemented a Flexible Workplace Strategy yet, I think it is inevitable. Assisting your staff to find the right work-life balance in their lives will ultimately benefit you both.