At President Obama’s workplace flexibility conference last week, he explained that with “the rise of the juggler family…every day is a high-wire act, everything is scheduled right down to the minute, and there is no room for error.” He essentially was calling for better integration of the working and living experience.

With that, Mr. Obama announced he’s testing a “result-only working environment” or ROWE with 400 members of his own staff. (check out  Sue Shellenbarger’s blog, “The Juggle” at the Wall Street Journal.)

When using ROWE, employees are “evaluated on performance – not presence.” It supports the idea that “face time” doesn’t equal results, and that workers who can better control the integration of their work and family life, might be more productive and happy.

Take that idea a step further and deeper, and it might provide a jump-off point for exalting the human experience in the workplace and business. Given the ability to better balance ones lifestyle with their work, there’s an opportunity to better focus on personal development across the board.

An integral approach is the foundation for Integral Life Practice: A 21st Century Blueprint for Physical Health, Emotional Balance, Mental Clarity and Spiritual Awakening.

The material is written by four well known thought leaders on consciousness and human development including Ken Wilbur, whose work I have been reading for many years and I highly respect. The book both includes and transcends dogma, incorporates ancient and post-modern theories of human evolution and most importantly is not a heady read. It’s actually common sense guidance to navigate our sensory overloaded climate while growing as human beings.

In this weeks WorkLife Nation Web Video, you’ll hear from Terry Patten, one of the authors of Integral Life Practice. It’s just a snapshot of a longer interview that I’ll be posting at my Judy Martin Speaks YouTube Channel in the coming weeks. The philosophy stretches our minds and souls to tap the deeper nature of who we are, at our highest potential. As Patten says,  “If you’re not growing, you’re not dynamic, you’re not happening.”

It’s been eight years since our world changed in an instant on September 11th 2001. Our world perspective was suddenly viewed through a new expanded lens courtesy the internet, globalization, international security and economic concerns. As a reporter for the national radio program, Marketplace Morning Report, my world was turned upside down as I reported from the rubble of the World Trade Center and Wall Street.

But from the chaos of 911 emerged a new passion for me: to identify and report on the drastic changes, dynamic innovations, and demons in our work life culture. Nearly three years ago I started blogging on the topic, then came podcasts (you can hear these at my Judy Martin Speaks site) and now I’m taking it up a notch into my comfort zone of television. This is the first episode of WorkLife Nation. Here’s the back story:

911 brought many painful but rich memories which will forever be etched into my heart and mind. Learning that my friend, News 12 Photographer and NYC Police Officer Glenn Pettit was killed in Tower 2, was deafening to the soul. But the camaraderie we all experienced always rings through this time of the year. I had the gift of volunteering with the children of the victims at Pier 94 where the families were offered services.

Our lives would never be the same again, nor would our work lives and careers, which fascinated me. 911 stirred the pot and had us questioning how we live our lives and how we work. Did we live to work  - or work to live?  Economic setbacks and shifts in our social structure continued to fuel a blur between work and life.

Furthermore, the idea that passion and profit were mutually exclusive was dealt a seismic shift in my brain regarding career and work. “It doesn’t have to be that way,” I thought, “We can rebuild him, we have the technology to make him better (theme song from The Bionic Man, The Bionic Woman) we have the capability to create a happier and more satisfying working experience – a vocation.”

911 catapulted me into a world where I felt compelled to examine and report on our work life culture from a more human perspective: from the post-911 workplace fears, to corporate malfeasance, to family leave, to the Americans with Disabilities Act, to employee engagement, to work life flexibility and the elusive work life balance debate. From the ashes of chaos during 911 emerged a passion to figure out how the work life merge might be navigated with more awareness and consciousness. Thus, WorkLife Nation was born.

WorkLife Nation Episode One: The Great Merge!

In the first episode of  WorkLifeNation Success, Serenity & Significance 24/7 –  you’ll hear about how the internet as a catalyst is changing the way we work and do business in a challenging new economy.  We’re more connected, and our workplace is evolving, entrepreneurs abound and many work from home. Be it baby boomer, Gen X or Gen Y, many thirst for more meaningful work,  but demand more family and me time. The lines have blurred in the quest for success, serenity and significance in our worklife .

We’re redefining success in terms of values, passion and profit. You’ll hear from author and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuck of WinelibraryTV.com. Passion is the underlying theme in his book: “Crush It.” Social Media Guru Chris Brogan who wrote “Trust Agents“ with colleague Julien Smith, talks about the core value of trust, when doing business on the internet.

But to succeed -we have to keep the flame going and that means Serenity: cultivating resilience while navigating sensory overload. Exercise, Yoga and mediation are gaining speed at work. That’s where  Andrew Newberg M.D shares from his book, “How God Changes your Brain.”

From there you’ll hear from Cali Williams Yost – CEO of WorkLIfeFit Inc. We’ve done some work together  and she’s got her finger on the pulse of worklife flex. The more flexible we are the easier it will be to make a difference -and that’s where significance comes in. Conscious work toward a greater purpose. Deepak Chopra weighs in on his thoughts.

In these radically changing times people are clamoring for more humanity in work and in business. Question is, how can we have more meaningful work and master success, serenity and significance  in the chaotic waters of a world that changes in an instant. You’ll hear a lot more from these pioneering voices in future episodes of WorkLifeNation.

The DOW hit its highest point since early January, good news came out of the housing market Thursday, and earnings reports are better than expected this quarter, but it doesn’t mean we’re out of the mucky waters of recession yet. Judging by a new report by the Families and Work Institute, employers are certainly not thinking that way. Yet, work life flexibility has not been thrown to the curb in tumultuous times. An important note as we adapt to the so-called “new economy” which is consistently offering evidence of the blurred lines between the working and living experience – which all but demands more flex.

The report,  The Impact of the Recession on Employers was the substance behind the testimony of the Institute’s co-founder Ellen Galinsky Thursday morning. She spoke before a Congressional Joint Economic Committee which addressed: Balancing Work and Family in the Recession: How Employees and Employers are Coping (Click on the title to watch the testimony).

“We found overall that the recession has taken a very severe toll on employers,” said Galinksy who went on to cite that in the study’s national sample, two thirds of the employers reported declining revenues. 77% had to resort to cost cutting measures. Among those companies – 64% suffered lay offs. So employers, like us all, have been cutting back. But there was one surprising finding in the report said Galisky,”81% of employers are maintaining the flexibility that they offer, 13% are increasing it during the recession and only 6% have reduced flexibility. Perhaps that’s because employers recognize that flexibility is connected to engagement, retention, health and wellness – our studies certainly show that.”

Still, as Galinsky and the others who testified pointed out, flexibility has to work for both the employer and employee. The distance between the two camps needs a moderator of sorts. A number of organizations and research entities such as the Families and Work Institute, Sloan Work and Family Research Network, and Workplace Flexibility 2010 have brought the national conversation to a new level, but legislative movement is agonizingly slow.

Back in December of 2007 the Working Families Flexibility Act had a short run. It was re -introduced in March, but it seems to remain nothing but a political football with little action taken ( read more about that in this post by work life expert Cali Yost). Perhaps the recession will force the conversation into a new realm with a fresh set of eyes and ears in our WorkLife Nation.

In an exceptionally healthy workplace  in the 90′s,  an on-site gym, cleaner organic food in the company cafeteria, and the occasional chair massage might have been the norm. These days, since workers are more concerned with keeping their jobs than putting on a few extra pounds, it’s a different story. One could argue it ‘s just as important to feel good – as to look good – mentally and physically.

Progressive companies, fully aware of our 24/7 stressful work environment, understand burnout is not sustainable for workers or their careers. In fact, some have found that Employee Assistance Programs that support policies such as flexible working arrangements, skills training, leadership development and programs that promote healthy lifestyle and behavior choices – will lead to more productive and mentally healthier talent. 

This week the American Psychological Association honored five companies for “their comprehensive efforts to promote employee health and well-being while enhancing organizational performance.”

According to the American Psychological Association, psychologically healthy workplace practices fall into five categories: employee involvement; health and safety; employee growth and development; work-life balance and employee recognition. Chosen for the APA’s 2009 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award:

1. W R Systems, Ltd. – Engineering Services Division (Virginia), 
2. Replacements, Ltd. (North Carolina), 
3. Teledyne Brown Engineering – Huntsville Headquarters (Alabama), 
4. WorldatWork (Arizona) 
5. Sandia Preparatory School (New Mexico)

These companies were not targeted for their feel-good approach to mental health, but instead on the return on investment. When big business can look at the numbers or concretely understand the philosophy behind what makes these companies tick, it makes for a better case to keep funneling money toward EPA’s.

Let’s deconstruct:

1. These 5 organizations reported an average turnover rate of just 11% in 2008, compared to the national average of 39% (Dept. of Labor)
2. Employee surveys from these companies showed 25 % experienced chronic work stress, compared to 39% nationally.
3. 85% of employees reported being satisfied with their jobs, compared to only 61% nationally.

Efforts to promote employee well-being cannot simply fall under the auspices of physical health. You can’t measure how happy someone is, or their mental stability, by taking their blood. If you’re going to do that, you may as well test for cholesterol. It’s a better indicator of an impending stress attack from burnout.

In our 24/7 high-tech global marketplace, our work life scenario changes exponentially. 2008 is chuck full of illustrations mirroring that fact, the least of which was the election of our first African American president. President-elect Barack Obama ran on a platform of change and a promise to create or save, an estimated 3 million jobs – and he used social media tools to nail the top spot.

With those news nuggets on the table here are Judy Martin's Top Ten Work Life Revelations of 2008:

1. Work Life issues are upfront for the Obama administration. If the president-elect can balance national security work with a vacation on a Hawaiian beach, he might be able to teach us a thing or two about work life balance. (Check out, Obama's Hawaiian work life strategy.) He's taking the elusive quest for work life balance to a new level of consciousness with his formation of The White House Task Force on Working Families.
2. Phased Retirement: Florida will have to wait. Recession, pummeled 401K's, the stock market dive due to the poor performance of the financials, soaring unemployment and Bernard Madoff  means less cash in the coffers. Instead of just retiring, they're doing it little by little. I hear a lot of New Yorkers are delaying their relocation to Boca Raton, Florida. Check out my story on Phased Retirement on NPR.
3. Boomers reinventing themselves in encore careers. Right livelihood is more about passion and purpose than it is making cash. But in our current economic slump if you have to work- you may as well do what you love. Check out Civic Ventures, Encore Career Movement and its Purpose Prize winners for 2008. For a quick overview, head to NPR for my story Boomers Find a Way to Make Social Impact, Money.
4. The Four-Day Workweek and the Four-Hour Workweek pick up steam. Tim Ferriss' book, The Four-Hour Workweek, sparked a trend toward working smarter - not longer. Then suddenly the idea of a Four-Day workweek gained some legs when gas prices went crazy high – causing some companies and even some local governments to try a 4-day workweek. For most of us – we're still working an extreme schedule of 50-plus hours a week. Check out this article in Businessweek.
5. Work Life Flexibilityhas replaced Work Life Balance. If you do a survey of most corporate employees or career trackers, most will tell you there's no such thing as work life balance. But someone needs to tell all the corporate folk who offer progressive "Work Life Balance Initiatives" to their employees. Might be semantics, but if they're offering work life balance to workers – are there any openings? Check out my NPR story, Embracing Flex Time, Takes Work.
6. The Slow Movement is picking up speed. Taking a chill started catching on for busy entrepreneurs with a little meditation and exercise in between meetings and conference calls on the tread mill. The quandry – so many are stressing due to the economy and record unemployment - that most are scared to slow down. Personal Coach and author David Bohl was way ahead of the gang on this one, check out his blog at SlowDownFast.com. And look toward Leo Babauta's new book, The Power of Less. Do I smell a trend or pipe dream? 
7. Portable and diverse skills might save your career. Take a class, buy a DVD, learn something new. You might need it for the next job interview. Check out humorist and career expert Tom Stern's article, The Skills Portability Factor.
8. Blogging might be the end of you. You might remember the slew of articles which indicated that blogging can kill you, if you don't monitor your sensory overload levels. You can read more about it in my WorkLifeMonitor blog story, 24/7 Stress, It's not just a blogger's world.
9. There are a bazillion opinions on how to navigate Black Berry Overload. Lots to read in this article, Black Berry After hours, Flexibility or Overwork.
10. Downsizing and layoffs are creating an overflow of qualified candidates. Companies can be picky, not so good for those who are fighting for a select amount of positions. It's one case where supply and demand actually favor the companies. Career Diva and MS-NBC columnist,  Eve Tahmincioglu writes about this in her article, Bad Economy = Better Job Applicants. Also check out her article, Women with Kids need not Apply on a political blunder of a statement which screams for some PC training and mouthwash.

October saw another 16,000 jobs in New York City's securities industry eaten up in the economic meltdown. It pushes the total work force down to numbers we haven't seen since 2005,  according to labor analyst James Brown, who spoke with Reuters Thursday.

It's more fodder for the mislead mindset, that work life balance and flexibility are expendable in a time of company cutbacks. Quite the contrary according to work life experts, and those still alive on Wall Street.

At a recent Wharton Women in Business Conference, a panel of Wall Street executives made some significant conclusions in their discussion, according to the article on Wharton's on-line site:

• Work Life Balance means different things to different people
• It's hard for a first year associate to strike a balance
• Achieving balance is possible over time
• It's best to work for an organization which already engages in work life flexibility practices
• A consistently good performance gives you leverage toward controlling your work life scenario
• Achieving work life balance can help further one's ability to stick around for the long haul

The item that I believe to be most important is that work life balance or flexibility is a very personal thing. Unfortunately, the voice of the employee is often quelled as we're all expected to do more with less and to relinquish all complaining. No one wants to be next on the chopping block.

The merging of the working and living experience is inevitable, especially in an economy which is challenging at best. Those who are not putting in extra hours to impress the boss are likely holding down another job on the side.

Companies are just starting to take work life concerns seriously, but for the financial industry which is hell bent on long hours and competition in a 24/7 global marketplace, it's an uphill battle for an individual to make demands. But for companies interested in retaining employees, fostering innovation and boosting productivity – the managing of the work life culture within corporate America  – is likely to be the wave of the future.

In the wake of one of  the most anticipated debates of the season,  every Washington commentator is eagerly weighing in on both sides. While debating Palin's credibility was all the rage this week, and her folksy image the target of the tabloids,  I shall pass on judging her performance in contrast to a senate icon. 

I'll say this – on the issue of work life balance or concerns, both have faced personal challenges which might make them more conscious on this topic. In a touching moment, Senator Biden aligned himself with those who understand what it is like to struggle as a single parent. He refered to his own family tradgedy when his wife and daughter were killed in an accident in the 1970's. We know of Palin's personal world as well. Her baby son was born with Down syndrome.

Beyond that, without further comment, I'm bagging the idea of deconstructing the debate in favor of bringing attention to some other powerful women who have a steady track record rocking the boat, while being at the top of their game. (That's not a jab at Palin, but instead, an offer through a different lens.)

Fortune just came out with its list of the 50 most powerful women in business. Here' are the top five whose careers have soared. Upon examination of the company websites associated with these women, you will see common threads in their workplace programs:

1    Indra Nooyi - PepsiCo
2    Irene Rosenfeld -  Kraft Foods
3    Pat Woertz - Archer Daniels Midland
4    Anne Mulcahy -  Xerox
5    Angela Braly -  Wellpoint
 

All of these companies offer  some sort of work life balance initiative, flexibility or wellness programs that take the concept of integrating the working and living experience very seriously. One might argue that with women running these organizations there might be a sensitivity to the work life "merge"  and the need for balance while juggling the job and family. But that characterization runs short. Remember, these women were singled out in their careers for business performance. Regardless of whether these women are moms or run families -  the welfare of their employees (their human capital) is clearly valuable to them.

One may only be able to make an anecdotal case as to whether such work life programs are impacting the bottom line, but you don't have to do a deep analysis to figure out that these women are doing something right. Just ask the people over at Harpo which is headed up by Oprah Winfrey. She came in at number eight.

"It is useful occasionally to look at the past to gain a perspective on the present." – Fabian Linden

Economist Fabian Linden held the status of "sage" in his observations of consumer behavior and its impact on shifts in the economy. With his creation of the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index, he urged the economic elite to listen to the voice of the consumer with a new perspective. After all, they were the ones on the front lines feeling the economic shifts in their pocketbooks. 

So it couldgo, with the voice of those on the front lines of managing the corporate coffers when it comes to the impact of worklife flexibility on the bottom line. That is, if corporate America cares to listen. A new study by BDO Seidman and Work+Life Fit, Inc. reveals there's interest on the part of Chief Financial Officers to explore worklife flexibility beyond the obvious benefits of employee attraction and retention.

The 2008 CFO Perspectives on WorkLife Flexibility study showed that CFO's understand that worklife flexibility has the potential to impact companies beyond employee issues. 75% of CFO's at companies that offer flexibility, said the strategy might be important to the future profitability of their organizations. Here's some other interesting findings:

• 72% said worklife flex practices differentiate a company from its competitors.
• 53% believe flex can save health care costs
• 34% said flex can help reduce real estate costs

These statistics are coming from the company financial brass, but even with the bent toward worklife flex offering potential benefits to the spread sheet, there is an indication that fear abounds in pressing the issue in the workplace. When asked about common obstacles to flex strategies:

• 76% were concerned about "face time"
• 72% were worried about "demands in the workload of a job"
• 62% were concerned about "other employees perceptions"
• 58% said it could "hurt my career"

In a struggling economy and tightening job market, it's unfortunate that the aforementioned obstacles might be enough to keep the CFO's silent on the worklife flex question. It's too bad –  because just as we're entering an era where worklife flex is being acknowledged as a strategy to boost employee productivity – Wall Street has investors running scared and companies hunkering down. For now, the voice of negativity in the financial sector is louder than those on the front lines like the CFOs. CFOs are crunching those numbers and might have some insight as to how to do things differently.

The title of "People Operations" replaces "Human Resources" at Google. The innovative leaders in that department appear to have a different take on the human condition in the workplace than most in corporate America. So it seemed appropriate to take notice of Google this Labor Day – a company known for its value of human capital, thus setting the stage for innovation and brilliance. The inevitable outcome - their strategy becomes a tool of attracting and retaining skilled talent.

We've heard about the free food, rides to work and the complimentary massages that are offered, and in a feature segment on Google which aired on CBS Sunday Morning, we got an inside look at the corporation. It's one which has wowed Wall Street and raised questions about the stereotypical treatment and attitude toward employees in corporate America which is all too often…

"Hey you're lucky you have a job. So  – work hard and you can keep it."

Google turns 10 years old next week and is still an employer of choice. Employee perks might be a tool to foster loyalty, but it's also a vehicle to free up a worker to hit the computer when it's more convenient for them to do so. In essence, Google gives its employees permission to be brilliant.

It's really common sense. Anything like those massages, being able to hit the volleyball court in mid-day or just taking a nap; help cultivate resilience. That release and relaxation feeds an inner warehouse of energy. Workers can then tap that inner stillness for those sudden pangs of brilliance - which lead to long sessions of creativity and innovation.

When employees are given the freedom to work when they want, how they want, and in the time increments that simply make them happier at work – their likely to be more productive. Furthermore, that flexibility – especially on Google's campus, acts as an engine for growth, innovation and new ideas to be birthed right there on Google's lot.

The freedom to work at-will can only increase productivity and a better morale at work. With accountability guidelines in place and goal setting monitored- it's a win-win for both company chiefs to score on the bottom-line, and the cogs in the wheel to churn out brilliance.

Traditional retirement seems passé these days. Especially  to baby boomers still trying to shore up their nest egg. Still, a recent survey suggests a good majority of them might be choosing the work they do -  more with their hearts – instead of their financial prowess. There’s a new class of boomers who are rewiring their work life in order to give back while making a buck. The survey was done by Boomer tracker, Civic Ventures and the MetLife Foundation.

The story highlights some of the challenges boomers will face in following this path such as the need for flexibility, health care coverage and income; it also looks at the rewards of the encore career and better worklife integration.

You can listen to my most recent story on NPR by Clicking on the link below:

Boomers Find Way to Make Social Impact, Money