“One must not always think so much about what one should do, but rather what one should be. Our works do not ennoble us; but we must ennoble our works.”

— Meister Eckhart, German Philosopher and Author

Embracing a cause that is bigger than yourself fuels internal change, creates community and clarifies your personal intention. It’s creating conscious work or a career toward a greater purpose. This doesn’t necessarily mean changing jobs or careers, but perhaps identifying the elements of significance in your own work or vocation.

I’ve written quite extensively on this topic here at Work Life Nation because as we find more meaning and purpose in our working lives, I truly believe it fuels personal and global transformation. We can impact others and make an evolutionary jump through the work that we do. Because business has no boundaries, and crosses into all aspects of our society, I think it can be one of the greatest agents of social change.

Here’s a recent relevant post:

Nurturing employees work life balance in a meaningful workplace

The old adage, “do what you love and the money will follow’ is a nice affirmation, but that’s also based on others definition of success. Is it really money you’re after or happiness? I think that’s a question we have to ask ourselves. Your success toward vocaiton is based on your creative process, skill and determination. To do what you love is not always an easy road. It might require sacrifice and discipline. It would be great if the money followed!

Here are 3 keys toward finding significance in your work:

a. Champion a cause at work or in business: When you champion a cause that is aligned with your values, that intention feeds the joy within your individual work. This allows for a shift in your own thinking, which in turn impacts the collective consciousness around a particular cause.

b. Invest time in your community: You don’t have to join a national organization to give back. Look into the immediate needs in your own community. What skill base can you contribute to your neighborhood?

c. Create sustainable relationships: When a thread of meaning runs through an organization or a group of like-minded people, it creates bonds and shared goals. Sustainable relationships inside and outside of work are often based on common purpose and can further lead to tackling larger issues.

This week I am focusing on boosting consciousness in the work life merge in conjunction with a public event held at UCLA on raising consciousness toward tackling global problems. If you missed it – you can read about the movement at  A Call to Conscious Evolution: Our Moment of Choice .

Please share your ideas about creating a career or vocation that adds more meaning to your life. I would love to hear from you!

Our invincible nature as human beings allows us to not only survive burnout in our 24/7 work life merge, but also to evolve and thrive. By cultivating resilience, we can spark our own unique restorative skills, navigate info-overload and foster innovation to consciously evolve in the workplace.

The idea of “serenity at work” would make most laugh. The mere concept is not exactly the topic of water cooler conversation or a goal that seems accessible. While company perks like a gym, healthier food, flexible working arrangements or employee assistance programs are a good start, essentially creating a better work life fit is up to us as individuals. One has to design their own program toward well being.

Cultivating serenity is not just about calming the mind. It’s also about getting quiet enough to listen to what is important. A creative thought process can always emerge from chaos, I’m not knocking it, but innovation can also be born of a deep awareness of who you are and your true purpose.

Here are some tips to bring some awareness to what seems a foreign concept, but might just save you from burning out:

“We gain our freedom when we attain our truest nature.” — Rabindranath Tagore, Bengali Poet and Nobel Laureate

a. Design your own program to cultivate resilience. Think about what brings you to a place of calm, and take time out of your day to slow the wheels of the mind and recharge. Whether it’s meditating, playing tennis or reading, out of silence comes creativity and vitality. That break might be the catalyst for a great idea.

b. Take a break to meditate at work. Unable to control those around us, we can monitor only our own behavior and emotions. When we are peacefully working from a space of clarity, our intentions will better s and clients. Meditating helps in that journey.

c. Create your personal “volume vigilance” benchmarks. Most of us suffer from sensory overload. Assess all incoming information. What papers, websites, and TV shows do you check daily? Look into aggregating information. Set time limits on web surfing, phone calls, and monitor e-mail less frequently. This makes room for better retention and time for contemplation.

This week I am focusing on boosting consciousness in the work life merge in conjunction with a public event being held at UCLA tonight – Tuesday August 31st, A Call to Conscious Evolution: Our Moment of Choice. I hope you’ll join us!

Finally, I’d like to hear from you. Please share your ideas about the importance of cultivating resilience and serenity in the workplace and business.

In our 24/7 world, which is struggling for a collective social conscience, I believe that the value of the HUMAN experience as we strive for a better WORK LIFE experience, must be acknowledged in the workplace and in business if we are to evolve as a society. We need to stretch our minds, hearts and souls to allow the emergence of a new vision of the future that is infused with human values. But that means designing our own benchmarks of success. I’ve posted on this topic before. You can read more here:

Redefining your career, business or personal success in a chaotic world

This time calls for passionately rewiring the way we work, live and do business with a deeper sense of alignment. It calls on us as individuals to start from within. Changing our thought processes around success in our work for example, will ignite a more evolutionary approach to business. In essence,  “work” becomes less about the almighty dollar, and more about “vocation.” What society deems as success might not resonate with your idea of success. But you can redefine success by aligning YOUR core values with YOUR passion to create the picture of YOUR true vocation. As we align ourselves with right-livelihood, we also contribute to the critical mass of thought toward a more conscious business atmosphere.

Here are some tools to redefine your personal benchmarks toward success.

“Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.” — Jalal ad-Din Rumi Persian Mystic and Philosopher

a. Assess your values. Make two columns on a sheet of paper. In column one, make a list of your core values.  In the second column, list the activities in work and in life that give you the greatest joy. Where in your current job or business do your core values and passions merge?

b. Journal about your passion. If you were to profit by doing what you’re passionate about, what would that look like? What would it mean for your career, your family and your personal goals? Have you mastered your dream career? Are there philanthropic causes that you would like your work to be associated with?

c. Explore your own brand of creativity. What differentiates your work from others in your field? Identify the unique factors that embody the essence of your work and who you are. Create your own personal narrative around your unique gifts, core values and passions. This story can be the foundation of your personal model of success.

This week I am focusing on boosting consciousness in the work life merge in conjunction with a public event being held at UCLA, A Call to Conscious Evolution: Our Moment of Choice. I hope you’ll join us! Please share your ideas about the importance of redefining success toward a more conscious business atmosphere.

How does one positively impact the world? Perhaps collectively joining with other like minded souls in conscious dialogue. In July of 2008, I was fortunate to join a few dozen thought leaders from across the globe to do just that. Among them, Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Gregg Braden, Jean Houston, Joan Borysenko, and Lynne McTaggart.

The historic gathering in Southern California was designed to discuss a more conscious approach toward the problems of the world. It sounds like a lofty goal, but from that original meeting emerged a manifesto of sorts called A Call to Conscious Evolution.

Since then this group of people has been meeting annually and engaging in thought provoking conversations on 8 signature items important to anyone who is on a path of personal and global transformation. This year, during our annual retreat, the conversation is being opened to connect on a deeper level with a public event.

On August 31st, at UCLA’s Royce Hall, the group will present an evening program: A Call to Conscious Evolution: Our Moment of Choice.

Micheal Beckwith will open the event along with a performance by the Agape band. You’ll hear presentations about how we can change the narrative around the way we as a society tackle challenges across all socio-economic (etc) boundaries. You can read more about the group by clicking here.

In the meantime, here are the main talking points as we kick off the week toward co-creating a new narrative:

• Building a global community and creating a culture of peace
• Restoring ecological balance to nourish all life and mitigate the effects of climate change
• Engaging in social and political transformation by calling for a more conscious democracy
• Promoting health and healing by acknowledging the profound mind-body-spirit connection
• Supporting research and education that optimizes human capacities
• Encouraging integrity in business and conscious media

How does one define an evolutionary leader?

That’s a good question. Not sure what the answer is but I can share that being a part of this group has been an interesting learning process on many levels. Most of all, what I’ve gained is an enormous appreciation for the voice and the gifts of anyone who comes across my path in my work life merge.

While these evolutionary leaders have certainly made their mark on the planet and been an influence in my life;  in my mind and heart, no one person, teacher or teaching is above the others. The inner work of personal transformation and the outer work of making a difference in the world is a cosmic dance between an individual process and collective purpose. The bigger picture. I think we are all influenced by mighty voices, but that wisdom often comes when and where you least expect it.

Again, it’s that sacred perception of all humans that Jack Kornfield speaks of. You can read more about my experience and thoughts on this in my recent blog post: Sacred Perception of the Human Element at Work.

Over the next week, I’ll be blogging on an evolutionary perspective towards creating better work life balance. You’ll find tool kits which offer pointers on creating success, serenity and significance in your work life merge.

I’d love to hear your evolutionary ideas toward designing a better work life fit. What are you doing that’s outside of the box and what’s the impact on you and those around you?

A colleague lost her job recently. She was told that she didn’t play well with others at work and that her attitude was a bit curt. I was her first phone call. After a long deep discussion, she admitted that she wore her dissatisfaction with her job on her sleeve. In fact, the perception of her superiors was that she was unhappy and didn’t appreciate her job or fellow workers.

Are You a People Person?

This scenario had been coming for a while due to frustration. Not just the job switch, but the attitude check. She’s not really a “people person” per se. And in today’s job climate, that’s a problem, because more and more companies are seeking that type of sensitivity in their so-called “human capital.”  The “human component;”  engaging and embracing creative employees, might just be driving innovation. For more on this, head to today’s Wall Street Journal for  JC Spender and Bruce Strongs article: Who has Innovative Ideas? Employees.

And that desire for a more humane culture at work and in business might be driving an escalation in entrepreneurship.  When you run your own business – you have control over the way you work, when you work and how you work. That is a desirable path if you’re striving for better work life balance or for better business relationships.

You can read more about that if you check out Pamela Slim’s site, the author of Escape from Cubicle Nation. People are leaving corporate settings in droves for entrepreneurship in the quest for better work life balance; which means putting our own “humanity” back into the business formula. Not always an easy task, but one that has personally driven me to write about it for well over a decade.

The Challenges of being in the Human Zone in Crisis

Immediately following the events of 9/11 I realized that my passion was exalting the human experience in the workplace and in business. I wanted to “humanize” my work life as a national radio journalist in New York City. This epiphany came after having a tough time adjusting to the death of my cameraman P.O. Glenn Pettit, and working long hours after the terror attacks.

A new sensitivity emerged for me about the way we treat people at work. But it wasn’t just what I was going through, it was the reflection of the pain of my colleagues as well. At the time I was working for Marketplace Morning Report on NPR and sharing office space with members of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation near the United Nations in New York City. We were all in a state of shock, but had to keep working.

The Painful Daily Grind

Coming to work in grief impacted the way my day went, and in fact MY perception of MY daily working experience. It was a hard time. But that changed in a very dramatic way with another tragic occurrence; the kidnapping of Wall Street Journal’s South Asia Bureau Chief Daniel Pearl. I worked with a close relative of his wife. I will never, this lifetime, forget the day she came into my office to tell me about the incident and his subsequent murder by terrorists.

My friend had been on edge for weeks before I even knew of her connection to Daniel Pearl. Our grief in the time following the attacks mirrored each other. I assumed there was nothing more to her behavior which had manifested on occasion in curt responses. Upon learning about Daniel, I thought, surely my grief could not match hers. Still there was a mutual compassion between us, a mutual respect. We saw in each other a desire for peace and healing, and that feeling resonated between us and among others in the office space.

Can we have a Sacred Perception of our co-workers?

Buddhist Psychologist Jack Kornfield would describe our resulting interaction as “Sacred Perception.” In his book The Wise Heart, Kornfield shares a unique lesson. One that is helpful to remember when dealing with a fellow employee who is challenging to work with. We never know what is going on in their lives, but if we can rise to the occasion of bringing a positive perception to the experience of that person, it might help to soften the blow. Here’s a passage from Kornfield’s book:

“Each time we meet another human being and honor their dignity, we help those around us. Their hearts resonate with ours in exactly the same way the strings of an unplucked violin vibrate with the sound of a violin played nearby. …When we see the goodness of those before us, the dignity in them resonates with our admiration and respect.”

As you head to work or pick up the phone to do business, what is your perception of those you interact with? How does it impact the way you approach business?

Well over 20 years ago I met an intuitive named Jeffrey Wands. He opened up a new world to me in many ways. I was certainly on a path of self exploration, but he challenged me to go deeper into my intuition. To trust, have more faith in myself and believe in the power of hope. We’ve been friends ever since.

So when he asked me to contribute a chapter to his latest book published by Simon and Schuster’s Atria division, Knock and the Door Will Open: 6 Keys to Mastering the Art of Living, I was more than happy to participate.

For the last year we’ve often discussed the “life keys” he felt were important to master ones life, which included maintaining ones emotional and physical health. For me, it means striving to be happier in our careers and work lives in general. Working toward better work life balance seems an elusive quest for most of us.

Through my lens, certainly getting a handle on your work life experience is a crucial part of our existence. After all, we spend more than half of our daily lives working, and facing the challenges and navigating the relationships and information overload that go along with it.

For the last decade I’ve been writing about shifting the culture in the workplace and in business by reducing stress; more specifically using personal development and breath work techniques. Jeffrey’s book gave me the opportunity to share some of that work. Here’s a link to a post I wrote a while back that was the basis for my chapter in the book.

Taking an Office Break to Meditate

The 6 Keys to Mastering the Art of Living

For a taste of what’s inside Jeffrey’s new book and his other two books click here.

The title: Knock and the Door Will Open implies that we have to do the work to make positive changes in our lives. It’s not just about waving a magic wand to manifest happier and more successful lives. Hope is a good start, but putting one foot in front of the other toward lasting change is our responsibility. Taking charge of our existence toward our goals.

In his book, Jeffrey offers 6 Keys to get you on a more productive path. It’s left to your interpretation to a degree, as most guidance is. But the first step is acknowledging that change is needed in order to evolve. A teacher once told me that once the decision is made toward change, the doing becomes effortless.  That along with focus and commitment goes a long way.

#1 Evaluate Yourself:

#2 Gather your soul mates

#3 Make sure your home is your castle

#4 Bring more posperity into your life

#5 Seek more spiritual strength

#6 Maintain your emotional and physical health

As I’m in the book, it was a gift.  I have a personal interest in it. But I would encourage you to take a look at the perennial wisdom Jeffrey has to offer. Meantime, what do you think the keys to mastering life are? Please share.

We’ve all heard the stories of the model elite who might have only gulped a Pepsi and a carrot in between shoots for days at a time and the resulting burnout, but what we don’t hear about is the work life balance, or lack there of for those working behind the runway. I’m sure this story is not the norm, but it makes you wonder about how much time we spend working in situations that shun exalting the human experience in the workplace.

I recently spoke with an executive assistant who works for an iconic global fashion company which will go unnamed as my source wants to hang onto the job situation for now despite a tough working environment.

She works in a tiny cubicle in the production area of this organization which she describes as a “two-by-two foot jail cell.” It’s not the size of a regular cubicle. And there are about a dozen of them all bunched together on one side of a large loft-like space. The rest of the room is cluttered with racks of clothing, material, tables with stuff and the constant in and out rush of delivery people.

“I can be on the phone working and despite wearing headphones connected to my computer, I hear everything,” says my source who went on to say it’s one of the most challenging work environments she’s ever had to endure. Here’s why:

• Tiny cubicles bunched together
• A raging manager who apparently screams at the employees on a whim. Apparently they are used to her after 20 plus years.
• The company has blocked all social media sites and doesn’t allow for even music streaming for relaxation.
• Because there are people there from every part of the world, they have different cultural customs that wack into each other in a company without any diversity training.
• The workers also speak different languages and according to my source yell at their husbands in different languages on the phone all day long which is distracting.
• Because the competition is so fierce in high fashion, the office atmosphere is infused with a consistent tension that even the most serene meditative being, which my friend happens to be, gets thrown on occasion.
• There is no effort on the part of management toward boosting morale, employee engagement or loyalty.
• Water cooler gossip is rampant.
• The hours are concrete with no chance of flexible working arrangements.
• Calling in sick period, or especially for family reasons is frowned upon.
• This busy office space is noisy and overloaded with sensory stimulation which is very distracting and makes it hard to concentrate.
• There’s an “every man for himself” mentality that corporate doesn’t seem to mind. Keeps people on their toes.. or does it?

When human beings are not treated well, some of the following might occur:

• They’re unhappy and stressed making them less productive in the workplace
• They have difficulty in their work life merge and take work home with them for fear of not performing
• They become stealth fighters without compassion ready to stomp on everyone in their path

We are living and working in a 24/7 global marketplace. How can we play together in our diverse work pool, better handle the demands of our attention crash due to concerns about competition -  and finally – make the workplace healthier? The demands of the time call for nothing less than a culture shift in our attitudes. Is the fashion industry -  or just this one persons account -  really any different from other sectors? Seems not.

What are some innovative approaches to workplace diversity and handling the stress of a competitive working environment?

“We gain our freedom, when we attain our greatest nature.” –Tagore

When I met marketing expert Lisa Petrilli in April at #SobCon, a social media gathering for bloggers, there was a reserved confidence about her. A steady, approachable quietness. When she opened her mouth, wisdom spewed. So when she asked me to join her to propose a workshop at South by Southwest’s Interactive Conference, it was a no-brainer. It became a collaboration between two people in the media we soon learned, who had overcome some unusual life-changing obstacles, to orchestrate successful projects. Here’s the link to our proposal: Conquer Your Kryptonite: Superpowers Fueling Kick-Ass Business Deals.

If your participating in the #SXSW voting process, and this appeals to you,  we’d be thrilled to get a nod. Thanks in advance for any support because we’re really passionate about this project.

Superpowers to Conquer Your Own Kryptonite

We’ll be dishing on 5 Superpowers that will help you conquer YOUR OWN kryptonite. The kryptonite is the stuff that holds you back from nailing great business deals. How do you fuel business success, choose partners and clients wisely, thrive on your own personal edge without burning out and go for the “ask” without abandoning your own nature?  What makes you passionately tick and how do you get to the place that allows innovation and creativity to emerge?

Ultimately, concerned with falling behind and concern about the competition in the rear view mirror, we push till we drop. And that’s why I wanted to talk about cultivating resilience.

It’s a Process…

Lisa, myself and just about everyone else out there, have all had those moments of conquering challenges and creating success in our work, by cultivating resilience in our own personal way.

After some deliciously long phone calls Lisa and I felt that we had a special connection and some darn good stories to share about business success and resilience. There were common threads. We both have methods of cultivating resilience which helped us to be more creative and innovative. Another commonality was that we both try to strive for success – while not be attached to outcome. And that is important. While neither of us are exactly on-line interactive media stars, and we didn’t know if the journey would lead us to presenting at #SXSW, we were ok with that. We had birthed something together that had fueled our success and helped others build their businesses.

Can we crush competition by doing nothing? Not exactly.

Bengali poet Rabindrathath Tagore had it right, we’re really at our best when we get to the heart of who we are; that “authentic self.” Some opt for working 24/7 to crush competition. But what about a steady diligence born of a reservoir of resilience? I think of that reservoir as a watershed that we feed through strategic command of our space, our information and our time. What I call our “SIT ZONE.”

Sitting at the control panel of your life, ultimately you drive the way you work and create your business. Often, we’re looking outside of ourselves which helps to a degree. We seek a bit of guidance though books and surfing the web. Masterminding in community fuels ideas. Corroboration with a business partner like Lisa and myself are doing is another path. But ultimately, the juice of who you are, that “special something” comes from within. And if you’re an empty exhausted dried-out vessel, the innovate flow is impeded. Like a smooth running engine, you’ve got to oil the inner parts to ignite a path toward success.

How do you fuel your inner engine? How do you cultivate resilience? I’m happy to share your stories. And we hope to see you at South by Southwest!

Many years ago, heading into the newsroom when I was a rookie TV reporter, I was greeted by the remnants of a dramatic scene; a workplace nightmare. One of our managers, a workaholic in his early sixties,  had just had a heart attack and died in the upstairs lunch room in front of a vending machine.

Work life balance wasn’t his thing, nor was a healthy diet. This man was dedicated to his craft. He covered three wars, witnessed Watergate, saw a president resign and a country brought to its knees during Vietnam. A lover of current events, he ate, lived and breathed political news. But he didn’t do much to care for himself. Turned out, he had a terminal illness that no one knew about. He had simply stopped taking care of himself, but wanted to keep working.

Is Dying Watercooler Conversation?

Back then, even the thought of talking about end-of-life issues in the workplace was not typical watercooler conversation. Although I’ve been working in hospice settings myself for a number of years, the import of those last few months of life never struck me as a workplace issue. But consider the consequences for a person who literally works until they begin the dying process, or for family members taking care of their dying or elderly parents.

“Full-time employees with intensive caregiving responsibilities are estimated to cost employers 17 Billion dollars a year,” according to Dr. David Ballard who heads up the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program at the American Psychological Association, “Studies have found that caregiviers have higher levels of stress hormones, less effective immune systems and this can increase risk for hypertension, diabetes, colds and flu.” He adds that dealing with caregiving, grief and loss issues at work impacts employee wellness and productivity. Consider these statistics:

• AARP: 2009 73% of caregivers were employed at some time while they were caregiving
• ComPsych 2010 survey with The Hartford: 46.6 % of young Baby Boomers worried about how caregiving was impacting their job

Employee Assistance Programs Addressing End-of-Life Care

The impact of end-of-life issues on a worker can be devastating as I learned after much research.  After exploring how mailing giant Pitney Bowes was beginning to address the topic in the workplace when they released a white paper The Caregiver Quandry , I was confident that there was an important story to tell. The result was my feature for NPR’s Morning Edition, Firms Help Workers Provide End-of-Life Care. But the amount of research and controversy on the topic is enough to fill a book.

Stephen Kiernan, author of Last Rights: Rescuing the End of Life from the Medical Care System, has made headway in this area. I interviewed him over the phone for the NPR story. His book focuses on the rising rate of mortality, and the emotional and financial costs associated with end-of-life care. “All the debate about healthcare reform has been about who is going to pay for it, NOT about what we’re paying for,” said Kiernan.  Thus making the argument that we’re dying a bit too much in intensive care unit in the hospital, instead of considering the benefits of hospice or palliative care. “One day in intensive care might equal the cost of 15 days in hospice,” and added that patients need to be more educated by the medical establishment to make more educated choices. Addressing end-of-life issues in the workplace, Kiernan said,  is not just a bottom-line issue, but the humane thing to do.

Elder Care is a start – but not most companies don’t have their eye on the finish line

Our healthcare system is in pain from so many different maladies, (ie. costs, patient safety, insurance issues) that talking about end-of-life care might seem overly ambitious. Many companies have not yet properly addressed elder care concerns for their employees says Eldercare Strategist Veronica Woldt of Corporate ElderCare Solutions LLC.

“With all due respect and kudos to companies that provide eldercare or end-of-life benefits to their employees, unless you work in an  eldercare focused industry (such as a hospice, funeral home, elder service profit or non-profit, an elder legal or financial  specialty) End-Of -Life assistance to employees is basically  non-existent. It is the pink elephant in the room.”

Ms. Woldt remarks that the percentage of employers offering ‘basic’ eldercare  resource and referral service has remained fairly small. Figures  from the Society of Human Resource Management reveal that about one in five companies offer an eldercare referral service. Furthermore, she comments that the disposition of company protocol on such issues needs a fresh attitude toward adapting to employees needs, while not penalizing them.

“Companies can help by offering more flex time and eldercare related benefits. They need to make sure people feel comfortable asking for help. Especially in our current economic times, employees avoid work/life issues that may draw attention to themselves, for fear they may  appear less productive, or of losing their job entirely.”

It’s an understandable fear in an uncertain workplace culture. The topic has generated a lot of blogger buzz. Cali Yost, CEO of Work Life Fit, who has been a colleague of mine for several years just posted on this topic extensively on her FastCompany blog: Change the Game: Add Aging to the Parent-Centric Work+Life Debate.

The Basics: Resources to ask for help

Offering an ear to listen and resources to get help for Eldercare or End-of-Life issues is a start, says Dr. Brent Pawlecki, the Corporate Medical Director at Pitney Bowes, “Unfortunately the conversations happen late, too late, or not at all. Just because we can do a lot in medicine doesn’t mean that we should. Employees need to know their options.”

Pitney Bowes has prided itself on nurturing a culture of employee wellness. When I visited with Dr. Brent at their Connecticut-based headquarters he showed me around. The cafeteria has healthy food incentives, there’s a gym, and small rooms called “huddles” line the corridors of the company. They serve as offices for flexible workers who also work from home.

Babyboomer Christine Gilliatt, a manager at the global mailing giant, is taking advantage of the company resources. I caught up with her as she stopping in to check up on some of her benefits in the healthcare clinic. She was exploring what guidance and resources might be available to help her care for her 82 year old mom who is facing some tough decisions.

“The biggest thing, when you have an intellectual parent, and I’m trying not to get choked up here, is having those types of conversations around living wills, finances, do-not-resuscitate documents,” she went on to say that her mom is not capable of fully understanding or responding. So she says being able to have someone like Dr. Pawlecki to talk to, is a gift.

“My boss understands what I’m going through. When I have to take off from work it’s a trust factor, they know I won’t take advantage of their time. If that weren’t the case it would be difficult to perform.”

What do you think?

Should we be addressing end-of-life issues at work? Is it just an organic shift from elder care to the inevitable? Please share your thoughts.

While my work life cohorts were dishing out some pretty intense discussion at BlogHer this past weekend at the Screw Work/Life Balance, We Need Work/Life Policy session, I followed the conversation on twitter, poolside. Frustrated that I was unable to attend, I was still moved by the passionate debate provided by my twitter-stream view thanks to Stephanie Wilchfort @TheMamaBee, Morra Aarons-Mele @Morraam and hashtag #goodwork. (check out their blogs for more on the session) It got me thinking. I am not one for regrets, but missing this event got me agitated and sent me into a mode of contemplation.

Need there be a revolution in the way we tackle work life issues, an evolution of policy and individual and organizational responsibility, or a grassroots movement that slowly wakes everyone up to the fact that the way we are working is simply not sustainable as we head for burnout?

A Cultural Shift in Perspective

From my perspective, it’s not work life balance that we FIRST need to be striving for or even revamped policy. Instead it’s a complete cultural shift. A tall order. Big business needs to better value the people who are working for them. They need to understand that investing in their so-called “human capital” is not only a bottom-line issue, but the humane thing to do.

Numbers are crucial but what about the people?

We can link the use of certain employee assistance programs and flexible working policies to productive results as my colleague and friend Cali Yost of WorkLifeFit.com often writes about in her blog. (Check out her latest post on the FastCompany blog: Yes, Flexibility Increases Productivity and More, Favorite Flex Research/Resource Links) But organizations have to first want to look at the statistics and be open to the “human element” of their business. Productivity and profit all too often trump the “people” component of the equation. Businesses have to “care” enough about the well-being of their employees, to listen to their needs.

Policy reform is not a panacea, but a catalyst for conversation

Question is, can employees toot their own horn on the issues important to them like flexible working practices, maternity or paternity leave, sick pay, paid vacation, etc, without being ostracized or punished? What might make it “ok” for workers to voice their concerns and for C-suite leaders to listen, is the ongoing public push for changes in work and family policy.

Policy reform is not the answer in itself, in fact it’s an arduous process in which results must come at a compromise, if at all. But the journey keeps the conversation alive.  In that public arena, discussion takes place among the advocacy organizations pushing for policy change, the research institutes presenting the arguments for reform, and the bloggers who are making substantial noise on the internet.

As blogger Chrysula Winegar recently tweeted “#Worklife is a holy trinity of individual, corporate, and legislative responsibility.” Discussion raises the bar on the conversation and keeps the topic alive no matter the direction. As we say in news and marketing, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. We should start worrying when people stop talking about worklife issues. So…what is your lens toward better work life policies across the board?

Revolution

Is REVOLUTION what we’re talking about? That could mean a socioeconomic and cultural shift. But to revolt is to overthrow authority, to oppose and/or refuse. It’s a start, but we have to ask ourselves if we then demonize big business and the establishment in general; the entities which are a necessary part of the conversation. To define the work life debate as such means we have a foe. Who or what might that be? Is it corporate America, the societal dictates which have created expectations which put profit above people, generations of equating success with image and economic prosperity, decades of discrimination against women in the workplace, or the shunning of family concerns in favor of 24/7 capitalistic world? Revolution shakes people up and triggers critical thinking, but to be sustainable it needs the support of the people including those in the C-Suite. Still revolution might fit the bill.

Evolution

Perhaps EVOLUTION feels better. To evolve means to develop or achieve gradually, to unfold, to a style of ones own. The last few words are mint, “a style of ones own.”  Creating a work life fit (Cali Yosts preferred term) means individual participation in that formula. We examine what’s working and what isn’t. The exploration of policy already in place, (ie. Family Medical Leave Act) perhaps toward expansion and better understanding. Embracing flexibility programs as more than company perks, and instead as an instrument to shift company culture. That would mean an organic shift in the consciousness around work life issues in a way that transcends current policy, while including what has been working. But to evolve means certain mind sets have to already be in place. The acceptance of the fact that the coming catharsis is a necessary part of growth and sustainability.

Movement

Ah, MOVEMENT. The act or an instance of moving; a change in place or position. Movements can certainly involve revolution and evolution. Old ways of doing things become stale, repetitive, lose their mojo and ultimately are ineffective in bringing about necessary change and results in a new environment. Case in point, we’re in a 24/7 global hi-tech marketplace where women have become more than half the workforce, employees are caring for their elderly parents and children, boomers are retiring which will lessen the work pool, and Gen Y has arrived on a silver platter. But are movements too slow? Are the aforementioned concerns already pervasively dampening the ability to sustain ourselves in the changing socioeconomic climate? If so, then we have to ask ourselves if not now, when?

I’d say we’re in for a work life culture shift but what is the best road to take?