The purpose of this area is to provide several complementary views on how to maintain a positive work-life balance, especially regarding remote working environments.
We suggest starting this module with an ice-break and introduction to the topic. Then you can choose any of the four tools presented, Case study, Good practices and Interview. We recommend concluding the module with Activity and Assessment.
Ice-break
Source:https://shorturl.at/hnDIM
Emoji Story
Purpose
Use this exercise at the beginning of the module. Its purpose is to loosen the participants up in the settings of the training environment. This activity will help to fast-track familiarity and ease the socialisation process among the participants. It will help the participants get to know each other a bit better before engaging in the actual training activity.
This fact is very important for learning. The participants thus gain the courage to speak out loud in front of the audience. Also, during this exercise, the participants will learn more about their colleagues or team members. The result of this exercise is a pleasant, friendly and fun atmosphere.
Number of participants and duration
Ideally, work with 5 to 12 participants.
If you have more participants, please, separate them into smaller groups.
This exercise takes approximately 20 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the group.
Description for the participants
(Share a set of emojis on the screen or board, either by displaying them physically or using an online platform. Ask the participants to prepare a story, using these emojis.)
“Your task is to create a story using the emojis provided. You can interpret the emojis creatively and use your imagination to construct a narrative. Each of you will share your story.”
(Allow few minutes for participants to think about their stories. Randomly select participants to share their stories, either by unmuting their microphone (online) or by raising their hand (in class). Encourage the rest of the group to provide positive feedback and engage in discussions about the stories.)
(This activity can be easily adapted to different levels of difficulty by adjusting the number and complexity of emojis provided.)
Recommended training methods
The coach can use the following questions:
• Which story was the most interesting/ funny/ surprising for you?
• How difficult was it for you to come up with the story? What was holding you back?
• How has your perception of your fellow participants changed after this exercise? Do you feel better within the group now?
Learning outcomes
• Sparking creativity and imagination, as participants construct stories based on the given emojis.
• Promoting active listening and communication skills as participants share their stories and engage in discussions.
• Creating a friendly atmosphere makes it easier to discuss & apply the learning tools.
Introduction
Source:https://shorturl.at/fDIK9
Topic work-life balance
Purpose
The purpose of the introduction to the topic Work-Life balance is to provide several complementary views on how to maintain a positive work-life balance, especially regarding remote working environments.
Number of participants and duration
You can work with a group of 5 to 10 participants as smaller groups create more-friendly and welcoming environment for discussions.
However, if the size of the group is more than 10 participants, it is better to split the participants into smaller groups in order to facilitate better discussions.
The introduction can take approximately 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the group and the relevant discussions.
Description for the participants
“In this module we will talk about the following v:
• Work life
• Personal life
• Balance
• Work-life balance
We will also go over the fundamentals of the topic of why is work-life balance important.”
(You can start by a discussion about the concept of work-life balance. It is quite a common term however each of the participants can understand something else under this concept. After the discussion, share the definitions of the key concepts.
(Follow up with a next discussion about the benefits when your work and personal life are in balance and risks, when your work and personal life are not in balance. You can divide participants into two smaller groups and let one group come up with benefits and the other with risks .
(At the end, explain to the participants what concepts .
Recommended trainings methods
The coach can use the following questions:
• How do you understand the concept of work-life balance?
• Why do you think the work-life balance is important?
• What are the benefits for you when you have work-life balance?
• How can you achieve work-life balance according to you?
Learning outcomes
• Understanding the fundamentals of the concept for the Work-Life balance.
• Understanding the key concepts: work life, personal life, the idea and principles of the work-life balance.
• Being aware of the importance and the benefits of achieving work-life balance in their own life.
• Getting the participants to consider how well balanced their work and their personal lives are.
• Making the participants see and understand the importance and the benefits that the work-life balance can give them.
Case study
Source:https://shorturl.at/HMZ49
Work from home concept
Purpose
This case study presents several smart apps to help participants achieve the right balance between work and personal time.
All apps are currently available for both iOS & Android for all type of electronic devices.
Number of participants and duration
You can work with a group of 5 to 10 participants as smaller groups create a more-friendly and welcoming environment for discussions.
The participants will be able to download the respective app and discuss it among themselves.
However, if the size of the group is more than 10 participants, it is better to split the participants into smaller groups in order to facilitate better discussions.
The Case Study can take approximately 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the group and the engagement with the presented apps.
Description for the participants
“Together, we will go over nine smart apps that can help you achieve work-life balance.”
(Then, the coach will take the participants through the apps ) or provide time to the participants to go over the apps by themselves on the platform. Provide enough time for that, app. 10 – 15 minutes)
“Now, you will work in pairs, each pair will choose one app that they will test, review and discuss its applicability and usefulness. Ideally, each pair should choose different application. After 15 minutes each pair will present their findings – what about the app they consider to be most useful for them and why.”
Recommended trainings methods
The coach can use the following questions:
• Are any of the presented apps familiar to you? If yes, which one(s) and how did you get to know it/them?
• Which app would you download and start using right after the course? Why?
• What other apps would be useful for you? Why?
Learning outcomes
• Getting to know useful apps and figuring out which app works best for them.
• Sometimes the answer is clear, but other times they might need some inspiration from colleagues and friends who are also struggling to achieve work-life balance while working from home.
• The participants should be encouraged to try several apps until they find out the one(s) that work(s) best for them.
Good Practice
Source:https://shorturl.at/zMRZ6
Tips to improve your work-life balance
Purpose
The purpose of presenting this good practice for achieving work-life balance is to show the path to the work-life balance from the point of view of the employee. The responsibility of the employee is to make efforts and put a lot of their own energy & motivation into achieving the work-life balance i.e. the focus is on the internal efforts and motivations.
Number of participants and duration
You can work with a group of 5 to 10 participants as smaller groups create more-friendly and welcoming environment for discussions.
However, if the size of the group is more than 10 participants, it is better to split the participants into smaller groups in order to facilitate better discussions.
The Good practice can take approximately 60 minutes, depending on the size of the group and the engagement in the discussion.
Description for the participants – Tips to improve your work-life balance
“It’s not a secret – manging all the things you must do as an adult is a challenge. From doing your best on the job to taking care of yourself – and, if you have them, your kids – to trying to see friends and stay sane, you have got a lot on your plate.
And while it is up for debate whether you can “have it all,” you certainly ought to be able to balance everything you have got and live a happy, fulfilling life.
To help out in that pursuit, the course has gathered some of the best advice on maintaining a healthy work-life balance.”
(Divide participants into smaller groups and ask them to brainstorm possibilities how they could improve their work-life balance. Let them do this for app. 15 minutes, then ask them to present their answers to the rest of the participants. After that, present to them our all the or ask them to go to the platform and read them themselves. Ask them to go back to their previous smaller groups for discussion and come up with 3 most important tips for them that they can start doing from tomorrow.)
Recommended trainings methods
The coach can use the following questions:
• Which of the presented action(s) is/are easier for you to undertake?
• Which of the presented action(s) do you consider feasible to be undertaken by you or your colleagues?
• What have you learnt about your own work-life balance while you were reading the materials?
Learning outcomes
• Reflecting on personal activities that can help improve own work-life balance.
• Learning some tips on how it is possible to improve work -life balance in general.
• Sharing ideas on improving work-life balance with rest of the participants.
• Finding inspiration and practical tips for improvement of the quality of life.
Good Practice
Source:https://shorturl.at/jAQ09
Tips for the employer to improve work-life balance of their employees
Purpose
This Good practice can be useful for anyone that is responsible for leading people, such as team leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, etc. However, it can be also useful for employees to see what are other organizations doing in order to help their employees keep their work-life balance.
The purpose of presenting this good practice for achieving work-life balance is to show the path to the work-life balance from the point of view of the employer. It is also up to the employers to create a comfortable and friendly atmosphere in order to motivate their employees to search for and to find their work-life balance i.e. the focus is on creating an external environment that welcomes and motivates the achievement of work-life balance.
Number of participants and duration
You can work with a group of 5 to 10 participants as smaller groups create more-friendly and welcoming environment for discussions.
However, if the size of the group is more than 10 participants, it is better to split the participants into smaller groups in order to facilitate better discussions.
The Good practice can take approximately 60 minutes, depending on the size of the group and the engagement in the discussion.
Description for the participants – Tips for the employer to improve work-life balance of their employees
“When it comes to a good working balance, employers can certainly do things that make employees more comfortable. Before I will present to you some tips that can support better work-life balance of the employees lets discuss together what is currently happening or not happening in your organization concerning work-life balance of the employees? Let’s split into smaller groups of 4-5 participants, and discuss for 15 minutes what works and what does not work?”
(After 15 minutes, ask participants to share the major findings from their discussions. After that, present to them our Tips for the employer to improve work-life balance of their employees or ask them to go to the platform and read them themselves. Ask them to share their opinions about the tips, what was useful and practical, what they already have in their organization and, what on the other hand, is not so applicable in their organization.)
Recommended trainings methods
The coach can use the following questions:
• Which of the presented actions are to be observed in your company?
• Which ones would you like to see introduced in your company? Why?
• If you are an employer, what would be your opinion on the presented hints? Which ones would you introduce in your company & which not? Why?
Learning outcomes
• Finding out how companies can help their employees improve their work-life balance.
• Identifying responsibilities when it comes to work-life balance, what can be done by the employer and what can be done by the employee?
• Realising that good work-life balance benefits both the employee and business, making it worthy of the time and investment.
Interview
Interview with Irena Boyadzhieva, free-lance HR Consultant & HR Business partner
Purpose
The purpose of this interview is to show participants different perspectives and approaches to keeping work-life balance. The purpose is also to provide advice on how to stay focused when working and how to switch-off to enjoy life.
Number of participants and duration
You can work with a group of 5 to 10 participants.
However, if the size of the group is more than 10 participants, it is better to split the participants into smaller groups in order to better facilitate discussions.
This exercise can take approximately 40 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the group and how many participants will engage to answer the given questions.
Description for the participant
(Apply the technique of “roleplay” to present the interview – one participant is to read aloud the questions and another participant is to read aloud the answers. You can ask them to go to the platform or print out the interview on paper.
At the end, the coach can ask the participants what is their opinion on the shared questions. She can lead the discussion to the personal experience, ask the participants what are their approaches to keeping their work-life in balance and how do their companies support them.)
Recommended trainings methods
The coach can repeat the questions to the participants in order to hear their opinion on the topics.
The coach can also use the following questions:
• Do you agree with the provided answers?
• Do you have different opinion for any of them? If yes, what is it? If no, why?
Learning outcome
• Sharing challenges that other people faced while working remotely/in digital environment.
• Revealing strategies used to help the team keep their work-life balance while working remotely/in digital environment.
• Learning about opinions on what a manager or a company can do in order to support their employees find a sustainable work-life balance.
• Receiving some personal advice to those working remotely on how to maintain a sustainable work-life balance.
Activity
Source:https://shorturl.at/eivM1
How do I know if my work-life balance is unhealthy?
Purpose
It can be easy to normalise working long hours or being under extreme stress, especially if we have been doing it for a long time or all our colleagues are in the same boat. Our assumptions and habits around work can become deep-rooted unless we take a step back occasionally.
The purpose of this exercise is to check on how is the work – life balance of participants and what more they can do in order to achieve and maintain it.
Number of participants and duration
You can work with a group of 5 to 10 participants.
However, if the size of the group is more than 10 participants, it is better to split the participants into smaller groups in order to facilitate better discussions.
The activity can take approximately 70 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the group and the engagement in the discussions.
Description for the participants
“Recent research suggests regularly checking your work-life balance by following five steps:
- Pause
- Pay attention to your feelings
- Reprioritise
- Consider your alternatives
- Make changes
Now we will do this activity together, so you can see how you are currently doing when it comes to your work-life balance. At first you will engage in some self-reflection and then we will use the power of peer/buddy coaching. Your peer/ buddy will help you with finding ways to make your work and your life more balanced and achieve greater satisfaction and happiness in your life.”
(After that, the coach can ask the participants to go over the 5 different steps presented at the Guide for Team management or she can take the participants over the different steps. Present or ask participants to reach each step by themselves and think about the answers to the question posted there.)
“Please, go over the questions and think about your full, honest and complete answers. Take your time. Write down your answers on a piece of paper. If you really want to make some changes in your life, do not just look for rational understanding of the decisions and priorities driving your life, but also be aware of your emotional states.”
(Allow enough time for participants to engage in self-reflection, approximately 20 – 30 minutes. After that, divide them into pairs and explain them how peer coaching works and what are its benefits. Let them share their findings and coach each other in pairs. Again, allow enough time for this activity, about 20 – 30 minutes, because it can be very helpful for the participants to see also other perspectives. Afterwards ask participants to share what were the most helpful realisations, actions, inspirations and spend another 10 minutes with creating a plan of action that they will be able to start following right after their return to work.)
(Conclude with a reminder for the participants that the five steps outlined before are not a one-time activity, but rather a cycle of continuous re-evaluation and improvement. In order to make real changes in their lives, they must make it a habit, continuously repeat the five steps, i.e., to pause, connect with their emotions, rethink their priorities, evaluate alternatives, and implement changes throughout their personal and professional lives.)
Recommended trainings methods
• The coach should encourage the participants to continue with this exercise even after the training session in over. The participants need to go through all the steps and find out the best action plan for themselves. The participants should be encouraged to undertake the actions they have identified at each step.
• The coach should remind the participants to undertake this activity bi-annually in order to maintain the progress they have in achieving the work-life balance.
Learning outcomes
•Helping participants to check if their work-life balance is unhealthy.
• Supporting participants to find a way to work towards & to achieve the work-life balance.
• Providing hints and specific steps to achieve the work-life balance.
• Motivating the participants to look into themselves and answer honestly the questions in order to realise their actual position in the field of the work-life balance.
Assessment
Source:https://shorturl.at/hnDIM
Purpose
The purpose of this exercise is to monitor how the participants were able to grasp the topic of Work-Life balance.
Number of participants and duration
You can work with 1 to 100 participants.
This assessment can take approximately 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the group and of the type of training methods used. If the coach has to give some explanations, or feedback during this activity, it will take longer time.
Description for the participants
“You will be divided into smaller groups (up to 4 participants) and you will discuss questions about work-life balance to see how you were able to comprehend the topic.
Try to come up with the correct answers.
If you have more suggestions, try to exchange arguments to come to a correct answer.”
(Divide the participants into smaller groups and present the questions on screen or distribute them printed out on paper. Try to support discussions when there are different opinions. Afterwards, present the correct answers.)
Recommended trainings methods
You can implement this activity with the whole group at once with the help of a presentation or you can formulate the questions in one of the apps like Sli.do or Kahoot (link to Online tools for coaches). Or you can print out the questions on paper like a document and participants can fill them out.
Learning outcomes
• Consolidating the acquired knowledge and skills in the area of work-life balance.
• Helping participants realise the importance of the work-life balance and how to work towards achieving it in their own lives.
• Finding feedback for what was more and what was perhaps less clear for the participants.
Additional resources
Work-life balance — Jeff Bezos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfGbyW6fs5w
How to turn busy into balance | Sara Cameron | TEDxTemecula
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II_Qyf0Vw9g
I don’t believe in work-life balance | Andrew Agerbak | TEDxBrunelUniversityLondon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldNcAp80mXQ
The RIGHT Way to Do Work-Life Balance Simon Sinek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0yxJH2i0DE
How to Create a Life You Don’t Need a Holiday From | Dave Cornthwaite | TEDxBrussels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS5CCbyap5Q
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