How work-life integration breaks the mold

The opinions expressed by entrepreneurs contributors are their own.

It could have been an awkward moment — my preschooler jumping into my lap during a Zoom meeting with my CEO. Let the children reveal the fragile barriers we erect between life and work. In the traditional work-life balance model, our two worlds are meant to stay separate.

took us to the , but I wonder if it also takes us back to the past. Work-life integration isn't really a new concept when you think about it. When I read Little House on the Prairie with my son, we see life and work overlapping on the farm. Work and parenthood are almost indistinguishable. Should these same principles apply in the digital world? How can these same principles apply in the digital world?

In the old normal, my son participating in the Zoom call could have been considered a violation of the sanctity of a work meeting. Instead, my CEO put on the bunny ears filter to make a welcoming, non-threatening face.

The result is that my colleagues are no longer strangers or strangers to my son. He feels connected to me even when I'm working and seeing what work is really about - it helps him visualize a future beyond a "take your kid to work" day once a year. My work has become real in her mind, instead of something that takes Mom away eight hours a day and deposits her in some mysterious void.

Related: From Work-Life Balance to Work-Life Integration – The New Way Forward

Tear down the veil

Work-life balance has had a long and distinguished career. As hippies became baby boomers, the need to reduce overwork stress on both fronts created the idea of ​​keeping the two realms completely separate, one impenetrable to the other, from less in theory.

Zoom meetings during the pandemic gave us our first glimpse of the dynamics of onboarding. The laid-back vibe of the office gave way to a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of our colleagues, and at times it could feel unexpectedly intimate. The effect was humanizing.

Professional personalities have given way to a more nuanced appreciation of who we all are as people (some of us with families and many of us as life continues its habit of spreading in work, with disorderly circumstances). Suddenly, the boundaries between work and life weren't so rigid, and the almost moral obligation to uphold them began to crumble.

As this idea of ​​integration begins to gain traction, the differences between the two models are evident: one is dualistic, the other holistic; one is rigid, the other fluid. This rigidity helps some, but hinders others.

The obligation trap

The mythical ideal of maintaining a work-life balance was meant to be liberating. It was intended to ease the guilt of spending time away from young families, but for many people with children or large family responsibilities, it hovers above our heads like just another obligation to fulfill.

When the fear of not achieving balance creates stress - creates imbalance - something is obviously wrong with the pattern. But what if balance management could be less about when you can take a few PTO days to "unplug" and more about when you can take a nap? You manage your health and energy at the micro level rather than the monthly level.

For managers who are worried about giving employees a thumbs up in case they run a mile, let me be talk A on greater fluidity in work hours. When I recently took three days of out-of-state PTO with my family, I picked wise times to check out Slack. Colleagues worried, "Why are you telling us about PTO? You should focus on your family."

I accepted. Absolutely. But as I told them, I would much rather take 10 minutes to respond to them while I was on the PTO, than have them wait three days for an answer on something I could help them with immediately. Not to mention one less item on my to-do list when I get back. Flexibility goes both ways.

Related: Is Work-Life Balance Driving You Crazy? Work-life integration is the most sensible alternative

Shifting is the new multitasking