Friday, July 25, 2008

Work Life Integration...and hence Harmony


Dear Team,

I was hoping to see some response/feedback or blog contributions by any of you since I had started posting my thoughts. Remember we wanted to have our "Dream Day" and you are allowed to do that away from office once a month? Don't think anyone is yet to practise that. Probably too many things to settle and we just can't pull ourselves away from work. Yes..we are all working longer and longer hours. Staying later in the office, coming in for breakfast meeting, having more lunch meetings, late meetings without dinners and even working during weekends.

Someone asked me how we can achieve work life balance and how I manage the balance between my family and my work. Well, truely, it's tough and I don't think it is possible to really do a 50:50 balance between the two in terms of time. With the pace of life and environment changing faster and faster, we can only look for ways to optimise how we work and I believe in Work-Life integration.

Work life integration as in, squeezing in time to do my own thinking or clearing mails in pockets of time when my kids are taking their lessons (Like now...writing this blog at Starbuck cafe using our lovely Broadband-on-Mobile),working out in Gym overlooking the pool where my kids are taking their swimming lessons etc. I have also seen colleagues running errands during lunch time, go gym during lunch where we strive to stay healthy amidst the stressful work.

As we spend more and more time in the office, office is no longer just a place where we earn our living. Colleagues are no longer just co-workers. We need to enjoy our work place and have fun with our colleagues. I don't see a problem with the later as I constantly hear laughters and jokes from outside my cubicle from the team and from the many nicknames going round...(our drama queen, ET, Penguin, Ronny@ShangHai, Hong Kong ABC etc...). It's great to see that the team enjoys each other's company and who says you can't have fun while working hard.

Now, we wanted to make our work place more fun as well! That's where Kai Hock spoke about converting his old cubicle into a "dreaming corner" where we can have a more relax setting for quick discussions (or lunch time fun?), putting in table football at pantry at 12th floor etc. Pls think about it and suggest more ideas of how we can make this "second home" a better place where we enjoy even more.

Team, I hope the next blog would be posted by one of you...not me alone, talking to myself? I am sure you will not disappoint me..

Have an enjoyable weekend,

Geok Chwee

1 comment:

kaihock said...

As we continue to push for growth and "chiong", the workload will continue and pressure for results will be mounting. In the process, there will be grey areas, unclear process and fustration.

Hopefully, each of us will continue to find the work challenging, meaningful and fullfilling. This job required strong character, tremendous courage and bountiful creative energies. The other way to look at this is that it is always better to work for a company that continue to find ways to grow, and is not afraid to try new things, set new grounds and create new things. We are in a unique situation to do that, and we should capitalise on the opportuntiites.

Anyway, it is extremely difficult to achieve work life balance. We should try in our own way to find our balance and priority. What we can collectively do, which I agree with Geok Chwee, is to integrate fun and warmth into our working environment.

For that, we need everybody's help and support. None of us know everything, and we certainly cannot develop solutions to all issues. I believe in the power of colloborate and tapping on the collective wisdom of all.

So, I urge each and everyone to step up, speak up and be engaged.

cheers, kaihock