Tips for Finding Work-Life Balance as a Leader
What exactly is work/life balance?
Have you found yourself taking work home with you more often? Or how about answering emails far into the evening? Or even answering your work phone calls and texts after work hours and on weekends?
If so, I imagine you’re beginning to resent the time you’re not spending with your family, and you’re definitely not spending time taking care of yourself.
You’re not alone. This state of feeling never caught up is a common one for educational leaders. And you know what? You will never be “caught up.” The requirements of the job make it wholly impossible. But here’s the thing: you have to learn to be OK with that. You also have to find strategies for dealing with it.
Prioritizing the work is absolutely critical.
In my work coaching a principal some time ago, we had a long talk about his working all weekend long. His wife and kids were irritated with him for missing out on family events and even casual family time and he was feeling very resentful.
We roughed out a plan and he began putting it in place.
You will never be “caught up.” But here’s the thing: you have to learn to be OK with that.
Here are some of THE things we came up with:
1. Sort your emails by priority.
Instead of getting caught in the email pit every morning and spending WAY more time responding to inconsequential stuff, we came up with a workable strategy. Giving the email a very quick overview, he printed out all the email. (I know it sounds like a lot, but trust me, it’s a good way to start this process.)
Instead of answering each and every one, he placed them into piles by priority:
- Things that MUST get done today
- Things to share with others. (Stick it in their mailbox or email them LATER.)
- Things that can be done in the next few days
- Things categorized as “down the road.”
Any that required immediate attention, he took care of right away. As for the rest, it was handled as it needed to be.
BUT he quickly discovered that a lot of it could actually be handled by someone else. We discussed the distinction between “delegating” and “building capacity.” There were many things that his very capable office manager could handle. We have to remember that these folks were hired for their efficiency and ability to manage and take advantage of that. I recognize that’s not always the case, but whose fault is that? We need to take the time to build their capacity now for some pretty big payoffs later. (More about that in another post!)
Not to mention that there are lots of leaders to call upon on your campus. This is a very visible way to build trust, as you show them that you trust them to take care of something. Of course, in the beginning, you want to circle back to be sure it truly was taken care of and can coach them through any problems that they encountered. Offer them opportunities to lead and learn and build their capacity as you free up time to be the instructional leader you know you are called upon to be.
2. Block out time on your calendar to do your most important work.
This includes walking through classrooms, being visible on campus, and doing those required reports and paperwork. Include your office manage in the planning for this to get her or him to help you protect this time.
Strong site and district leaders recognize the importance of being visible and they often spend ALL their time doing so. Be strategic about this goal. Make sure you are seen everyday somewhere so that you have a snapshot of how things are going, but be realistic. You don’t need to be everywhere all day, every day. It’s perfectly alright to carve out some quiet time to accomplish your most important paperback.
3. Recognize that paperwork, though important isn’t Job #1.
A very thoughtful educator once told me, if it’s just something you need to do for compliance, bang it out and be done with it. Save your time to do the more important things that truly impact your site or team.
Here’s some additional wisdom: the work will always be there. It’s the nature of being the leader of a large group of teachers and classified employees, not to mention students and parents as well as the work required from various levels in the district office.
4. Set boundaries on your time and effort.
Honestly, this is the biggest mistake we make as education leaders. And it was made worse by the pandemic where we were available via Zoom or by phone practically 24/7.
Ask yourself: do I deserve time with my family in the evenings and on weekends? Of course, the answer is yes. You really do. You need this time to relax, refresh, and do all the things that make you a well-rounded person. And so do the members of your staff.
Explain to them that you are engaging in wellness by setting boundaries with your parents, students, and staff. And here’s the important part: you want them to do the same. Ask teachers and classified staff to share ideas for prioritizing their work and for not responding to texts and emails in off hours.
Naturally, you do have to communicate with your stakeholders. Establish a schoolwide policy for responding to parents. Communicate this everywhere. When you talk to your parents about the need for downtime for you and your staff, and for them, they truly will understand. Then, be consistent.
This policy holds true for teachers and for leaders, too. Do not infringe on your staff’s non-work time or respond to random emails from employees in the evening. Except in the case of real emergencies, there is really no reason to do so.
NOW, You’re probably wondering, did these tips work for the principal I was coaching?
Truthfully? Not at first.
He lamented that his goal to not work on those weekends just didn’t work for him. He didn’t feel prepared for the work week.
But after further discussion, he made a new plan. His planned to limit his work to two hours early on Sunday morning. He took that time to do his weekly bulletin to the staff that allowed him some quiet time to include acknowledgments to staff members and even a motivational message. With that strategy in place, he could enjoy his family and be ready for the busy week ahead.
These are just a few things you can do to reach a better balance between your work day and home life.
Will it be easy to achieve work-life balance? Probably not. But it’s something worth doing if you want to stay happy and healthy in your work.
