Work/Life balance: why we’ve got to get it right

Despite the fact that we have recently celebrated the 55th anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March, where 20 000 women stood united in protest for women’s rights, the female population is still not being adequately represented at senior management levels in the workforce. Research shows that only 4.4% of women are CEOs or MDs of South African companies, 5.3% are Chairpersons, 15.8% are Directors and 21.6% are Executive Managers. This too is echoed at other management levels. “While there has been an increase in female representation over recent years, it is still low in comparison to men,” says Kay Vittee, CEO of Quest Staffing Solutions - one of South Africa’s leading and largest recruitment companies and which has a Black Female Shareholding of over 30%.

“One of the biggest of the obstacles that prevents many women from moving up the corporate ranks is the struggle to balance both a career and family life - with a large number of women choosing to forfeit their careers if it interferes with family obligations. However, by getting a good work/life balance you can fit your work in with other areas of your life in a way that allows not only for success but happiness and enjoyment too,” shares Vittee.

She suggests dividing your life into sections that are important to you such as Work, Family, Social and Self, and setting yourself one major goal in each area e.g. Work – get a promotion, Family – go camping in the holidays, Social – hang out with the girls once a week, and Self –learn how to belly dance. “The trick is to break up your major goal into smaller, more attainable goals so that once you achieve one goal you can move onto the next and the next and soon you will have achieved your main goal.”

 The CEO, wife and mom of two shares that, “The key to getting the right balance in your work and private life is effective time management. Planning your time both in and out of the office is of the utmost importance. As the old adage goes, ‘failure to plan is planning to fail’. You need to know what is required of you by when and have a plan on how to achieve those objectives.” Tools such as dairies, calendars, and the memo function on your cell phone and Outlook are invaluable ways of ensuring that you keep to your schedule. Another tool that will not only help you do what you need to do but also empower you, is saying “NO” – by not taking on more than you can handle you can reduce the risk of letting others down by failing to do what was asked. If you don’t feel that you can say no, try to delegate tasks or ask for help.

 An increasing number of organisations are also realising that it is in their best interest to help their employees to balance their work and family lives and are providing solutions, such as flexible work arrangements, that benefit both the employee and the organisation. “By working flexi-hours, not only do you get to dedicate more of your time to the people you love and activities you enjoy, you can also up-skill yourself by studying and/or training part-time. Acquiring new skills or enhancing your current skills set can help to improve your performance in your present role and equip you with the skills necessary for higher-level positions. The organisation also benefits from having a skilled employee who can add to the diversity of its workforce,” reveals Vittee. 

As the old proverb goes ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. Make some play time for yourself and dedicate an hour or so each day to doing the things that you love whether it’s a 5 km walk on the beach or snuggling up with a good book. Another way to reward yourself for all the hard work you are doing is to give yourself little treats such as a new dress or a relaxing bath with your favourite foam bath.

“With the right balance between work and the other areas of your life, there’s no need for you to sacrifice your career. And with more women remaining in the workplace and continuing to empower themselves there is bound to be greater representation at senior management levels. As we celebrate National Women’s Month, we need to remember the contributions made by women to society and the accomplishments that have been made for women's rights. But most importantly we need to acknowledge the difficulties that many women still face. I would like to urge all South African women to draw on the courage shown by those who took part in the 1956 march and keep on fighting for their place and that of women of future generations as our country’s business leaders”, concludes Vittee.Despite the fact that we have recently celebrated the 55th anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March, where 20 000 women stood united in protest for women’s rights, the female population is still not being adequately represented at senior management levels in the workforce. Research shows that only 4.4% of women are CEOs or MDs of South African companies, 5.3% are Chairpersons, 15.8% are Directors and 21.6% are Executive Managers. This too is echoed at other management levels. “While there has been an increase in female representation over recent years, it is still low in comparison to men,” says Kay Vittee, CEO of Quest Staffing Solutions - one of South Africa’s leading and largest recruitment companies and which has a Black Female Shareholding of over 30%.

“One of the biggest of the obstacles that prevents many women from moving up the corporate ranks is the struggle to balance both a career and family life - with a large number of women choosing to forfeit their careers if it interferes with family obligations. However, by getting a good work/life balance you can fit your work in with other areas of your life in a way that allows not only for success but happiness and enjoyment too,” shares Vittee.

She suggests dividing your life into sections that are important to you such as Work, Family, Social and Self, and setting yourself one major goal in each area e.g. Work – get a promotion, Family – go camping in the holidays, Social – hang out with the girls once a week, and Self –learn how to belly dance. “The trick is to break up your major goal into smaller, more attainable goals so that once you achieve one goal you can move onto the next and the next and soon you will have achieved your main goal.”

 The CEO, wife and mom of two shares that, “The key to getting the right balance in your work and private life is effective time management. Planning your time both in and out of the office is of the utmost importance. As the old adage goes, ‘failure to plan is planning to fail’. You need to know what is required of you by when and have a plan on how to achieve those objectives.” Tools such as dairies, calendars, and the memo function on your cell phone and Outlook are invaluable ways of ensuring that you keep to your schedule. Another tool that will not only help you do what you need to do but also empower you, is saying “NO” – by not taking on more than you can handle you can reduce the risk of letting others down by failing to do what was asked. If you don’t feel that you can say no, try to delegate tasks or ask for help.

 An increasing number of organisations are also realising that it is in their best interest to help their employees to balance their work and family lives and are providing solutions, such as flexible work arrangements, that benefit both the employee and the organisation. “By working flexi-hours, not only do you get to dedicate more of your time to the people you love and activities you enjoy, you can also up-skill yourself by studying and/or training part-time. Acquiring new skills or enhancing your current skills set can help to improve your performance in your present role and equip you with the skills necessary for higher-level positions. The organisation also benefits from having a skilled employee who can add to the diversity of its workforce,” reveals Vittee. 

As the old proverb goes ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. Make some play time for yourself and dedicate an hour or so each day to doing the things that you love whether it’s a 5 km walk on the beach or snuggling up with a good book. Another way to reward yourself for all the hard work you are doing is to give yourself little treats such as a new dress or a relaxing bath with your favourite foam bath.

“With the right balance between work and the other areas of your life, there’s no need for you to sacrifice your career. And with more women remaining in the workplace and continuing to empower themselves there is bound to be greater representation at senior management levels. As we celebrate National Women’s Month, we need to remember the contributions made by women to society and the accomplishments that have been made for women's rights. But most importantly we need to acknowledge the difficulties that many women still face. I would like to urge all South African women to draw on the courage shown by those who took part in the 1956 march and keep on fighting for their place and that of women of future generations as our country’s business leaders”, concludes Vittee.