Recent research has indicated that having a work-life balance in your daily regime may make you a better manager. Isn’t it something to pursue? Is there a role for an Occupational Health physician here?

Occupational Health (OH) as a medical specialty is evolving and hence roles of the OH physicians are expanding compared to what they did in industries and offices, say, about a decade ago.

When everyone today is talking about work-life balance (WLB), few know about one of its side-effect. If WLB is incorporated in daily regime, its side-effects are manifold, one of which is that WLB can make its practitioner a better manager.

In many corporations, OH physicians manage the wellness agenda that includes work-life balance. However, until this research was out, no one knew if talks, workshops etc. on WLB were contributing in making better managers. In organizations having a WLB support by the management, better managers were being made as a side-effect of advocating WLB. It was all happening unknowingly.  

At the same time, it was also a HR initiative to make better managers via different types of trainings. WLB was being considered during such trainings but merely as a passing reference.

Work-life balance can make its practitioner a better person and a better manager.

Based on this research, a stronger advocacy regarding WLB in organizations is necessary. At the same time, it is imperative for both the OH physician and the HR to effectively promote WLB as it may make better managers and hence better organizations. The OH physician is well-versed to provide inputs on WLB to make the ongoing HR-led trainings for managers more effective.

This research which was published in Journal of Applied Psychology, found that seniors who shut off their emails as well as calls and job-related stress after work hours were successful in developing younger employees achieve their goals and were viewed by them as better managers.

The lead author of the research Klodiana Lanaj said, “We found that when leaders psychologically detached from work when at home — they did not actively think about work-related issues, but instead engaged in activities that allowed them to disconnect and recharge – they felt more energized the next day at work, in ways that made them more effective as rated by their direct reports.”

Managers who were able to compartmentalize between life at work vs life at home ended up “rated as more transformational and powerful by their subordinates,” said Lanaj, an associate professor of management at the University of Florida Warrington College of Business.

“In contrast, on days when leaders kept ruminating about negative aspects of their work while at home, they felt more drained the next day at work, and were less transformational and powerful,” Lanaj added.

In 2019 Lanaj and her colleagues surveyed 73 full-time work managers/leaders, including human resources managers, directors of finance, general managers and/or chief engineers, with 60 percent being women.

The average time participants had been on the job was around eight years with each team having an average of nine employees.

The surveys were conducted for about an hour a day over 10 consecutive workdays, and it assessed the degree to which each team leader felt able to mentally detach when the work day ended.

Questions asked to the managers included how much their jobs affected them emotionally outside work hours, their energy levels at work, about their sleep time and quality, and about feeling of their own self, their competence, and leadership skills.

The 63 men and women who worked for the managers were also surveyed by the research team.

To complete the research the team mates were asked how well the manager communicated goals and vision, displayed energy and enthusiasm, and/or challenged their team.

The team mates then rated the effectiveness of their managers.

In reality, modern work culture demands employees remain connected to work 24/7, literally, and this can seep energy of the team and the organization in the long run leading to work inefficiencies which can sometimes be gross. This research tells you exactly not to do that.

To de-stress, simple steps help, like, coming home in time, avoiding work-related activities at home, being with nature (having some plants or a fish tank), exercising regularly and spending time with family and friends.

Managers who work hard may improve their well being and hence be better managers by picking up a hobby as well as de-stressing using simple methods enumerated in the previous paragraph.

Incorporating Work Life Balance in one’s life has many advantages – one of which is making of a better human being and hence a better manager. Better managers make better teams and better teams make better organizations!

Making work less stressful and making conscious efforts to reduce stress when not in workplace may be the first step to be a better manager, and it is something doable.

The outcomes of research like this may not be known to the HR manager or the senior management in an organization. However, if the organization employs Occupational Health (OH) physician(s) who are generally aware of such research should talk to the management and implement the findings to help an organization have even better managers.

This research and similar others indicate how an organization can have even better managers. The management has lot of challenges, one of being how to manage the Zoomers (GenZ) currently in workplace, and in future the Alpha generation who would join the workforce in 2032. The HR managers and senior management should be aware of these impending realities and prepare themselves seeking advice from various experts including the OH physicians.

Most of us do have some WLB in place but the need is to enhance it to be better persons as well as better managers. Now we have research to back the claims that makes better managers and hence organizations must pursue promoting WLB.

Incorporating WLB in one’s life has many advantages – one of which is making of a better human being and hence a better manager. Better managers make better teams and better teams make better organizations!

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Dr Ajay Sati is an Occupational Health physician who prefers to describe himself as an Occupationist, to denote, ‘an expert in diseases and other concerns of occupations.’ Dr Sati has managed health and wellness programs in industries he worked, like the atomic energy, and energy (oil & gas) in India and overseas. An experienced virtual consultation expert he was involved in many greenfield and brownfield projects providing inputs from health point of view.