By Malcolm Nicholson (United Kingdom)

What are the pressures that cause leaders  put their health and non work life at risk? Why do so few people see them and even fewer act as examples to a better way of working and living?

Coaches need to be aware of what is making work-life balance such a big issue and have a range of techniques to hand. How big an issue? Well, in market response terms, a simple Google search for ‘Work life balance books’ brought up 121 million results…

The impact of the external world has been well documented. Global workforces, new entrants who are working for a step change in personal economic status that the west takes for granted, pan-continental trade deals, the way businesses are measured and funded, with their constant need for growth and more for less. This has been exacerbated by 24/7 technology. The technological revolution hasn’t finished and we are now at the stage where the enabling technology is a disruptive force, overwhelming us with unrelenting Communication. Just look at the amount of time people spend scanning or sending transactional responses with no depth of thought. “We are already the most over informed, under reflective people in the history of civilization.” (Kegan & Lahey).

Source: iCN Issue 12 (Personal Coaching); pages 13-17

About Malcolm Nicholson

Malcolm is the owner and Coaching Director for Aspecture, and has worked successfully with a wide range of senior business people for over 15 years, enabling them to improve business results through transformational changes. (see www.aspecture.com). To find out how he can help your organization contact him at malcolmnicholson@aspecture.com or on +44 1932 267597.