Early in my career, I worked for someone who rarely took vacation time. When they did, they’d call in frequently to see how things were going.

Reflecting on those days, I realize how out of balance their life was and how insecure they were. The other problem with it was it shaped what I did for several years, because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do.

I was interviewing a woman for a position in my department. She asked me, “What’s your philosophy on reading and responding to emails?”

I was confused by the question and asked for more background.

She said her current leader would email her team late at night or early in the morning. The leader expected every team member to wake up, read the emails before coming to the office, then be ready to respond at the start of the workday.

That leader’s life was out of balance. I assured the candidate that wouldn’t be my expectation for her.

Work-life balance is a critical topic, and I’ll admit for many years I spent more time out of balance and at work than I should have. It’s a confusing issue for several reasons.

• Organizations and their leaders are much more attuned to honoring life outside of work.
• Technology enables us to work from anywhere, at any time, making it harder to know when staff are working or not.
• With more people working from home, the work/home line is even more blurred.
• We live in a world where having an opinion, a standard, or an expectation is criticized, leading many leaders to not want to take a stand.
• While this topic requires clarity, many are afraid to broach the subject at all.

Without clarity of expectations, everyone is confused.  No one knows when they’re supposed to say “yes” or “no” to work or work/life balance requests.

When work teams are uncertain of what is acceptable, it can lead to some team members resenting their peers. They’ll believe their coworkers have taken things too far in focusing too much on work or on their home-life.

My philosophy isn’t perfect, but I’ve made it a point to say three things about work-life balance to every person I’ve interviewed before they came to work with me. They sum up what I believe concerning this topic:

1. Your family and personal interests are important to me. I know there will be times when your family needs you. In those instances, they should be your first priority.
2. However, we’re hiring you for a position within our organization. Your work for us is essential because others rely on what you do. There will be times when we need to be your top priority—even when it’s above and beyond your regular schedule.
3. I expect you to know when you should prioritize family over work, and visa-versa.

Of course, I was still open to a conversation when someone was uncertain about what to do. In laying out my philosophy as clearly as I could, I wanted to empower my team to make their own decisions.

If you’re a leader, make certain to share your expectations—as well as those of your organization—in advance. Clarity gives “permission” to them.

It’s also okay to say “no” when someone makes a request or wants to do something that you believe is unreasonable. You can always ask them for an alternative instead of just saying “no.” If you say “no”, make certain to explain why.

As leaders, we set an example. If I say, “Family is important,” but I always work and never spend time with my family, I send a mixed message. Make sure your actions are consistent with what you say.

Make sure you’re committed both to your work and your family. Help your team to do the same.

 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people. Colossians 3:23 (GNT)