If you haven’t heard, the rigid eight hour 9-5 workday is an invention of the past that many modern businesses and workers are gladly moving away from. While some companies and individuals still keep to the traditional workday schedule, many others are upheaving the old system in favor of a new, flexible adjustment, including such notable names as Salesforce, American Express, UnitedHealth Group, and Dell. Regardless of whether changes are planned or not, everyone is talking about the pros and cons of restructured work hours, debating the implications of such a change, sharing their experience, or setting timelines for when they plan to make the move.
Flexible work hours are the treasured wave of the future largely because it allows employees the ability to structure work around their personal lives, such as time for their loved ones, meetings and errands, their personal health and wellness, and other priorities. Rigid, 9-5 schedules have demanded to be at the front and center of peoples’ lives in the past; although work is something many people take pride in and experience personal development from, with the option to determine their schedules, professionals don’t have to decide between their work and personal priorities but can instead prioritize each in its own measure.
These business founders, CEOs, and COOs understand the joy that pouring your heart and time into your business can bring, but they also realize the importance of giving yourself time to spend in personal ways. They have commented on their best advice for finding your own unique balance between the professional and personal realms of your life. Keep reading to see what they suggest.
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Agree On the Importance of ‘Life Balance’
Kim Jabal, CFO of Weebly, a free website builder
“The only way that anyone can balance work and family or work and personal life, is if everyone within an organization agrees that ‘life balance’ is critical to the overall well-being of employees and the productivity, and effectiveness of the company. Rigid work hours and work location make it much more challenging.”
Make Time for Exercise and Meditation
Nick King, CEO of Vint, a fully transparent wine investment platform
“When you set your own work hours, you have a lot of flexibility to determine what is important or not in regards to how you spend your time. I encourage anyone with a restructured workday set up to take a few moments to consider what daily tasks they consider essential and then create a schedule that doesn’t leave anything crucial out. We should all be prioritizing daily exercise in order to keep our bodies and minds healthy, as well as boost our moods and energy levels. I also engage in meditation because I find that it allows me to recenter myself in much needed ways. Whether you work at an office or somewhere else, I promise you can make time for exercise and meditation, and that you will be glad you did!”
Think In a Project-Based, Not Hours-Based, Mindset
Akhilesh Srivastava, Founder & CEO of Fenix Commerce, customizable ecommerce shipping solutions
“A work structure that has helped many freelancers and self-scheduling employees is to consider work in the light of project-based rather than hour-based days. For example, freelancers bill their clients based on the total project they are completing, not the total hours it takes, although hours do factor in sometimes as well. Whether you are a freelancer or just someone who has been given the ability to structure your workday around your personal life, you may also find it beneficial to adjust the way you think about work so that the emphasis is on the finished product or completed work, not on the hours put in.
View Your Tasks In Blocks
Cole Steverson, COO of Hybrid2Go, hybrid battery replacements
“My advice for those who have flexibility to adjust their work hours is to view your day in blocks. You could have an early morning session (maybe 7:00am to 9:00am), a late morning block (maybe 9:00am to 11:00am), a lunch break, a late afternoon block, an early evening block, etc. based on the amount of hours you want to dedicate and when you work best. You can schedule certain tasks into each block. Once you determine what arrangement works best for you, try to be consistent with your schedule depending on the day of the week. This way, you have both flexibility to set your schedule but also consistency in following a setup that encourages productivity.”
Give 100% of Your Attention Where Needed
Kim Getty, President of Deutsch LA, a data-inspired, culturally shaped creative studio
“I do my very best to always dedicate my Sundays to my family. Here’s why. Personally, I’ve never bought into the idea of ‘work-life balance.’ I think it places unrealistic expectations on women, and ends up driving people crazy when they try to be good at everything all the time. I reject the idea of balance in favor of the seesaw: I go back and forth, giving 100% of my attention where it’s needed most at the moment. That means I don’t miss a school play or a recital, and when I’m there, I’m not checking emails.”
Use Kadence to Manage Hybrid Working In a Positive Way
Dan Bladen, Co-Founder & CEO of Kadence, hybrid workplace management solution
“At Kadence, our vision is to create a world in which every person has access to the opportunity, the tools, and the environment to do their best work wherever they are. We created a platform to manage hybrid workplace arrangements. Now is the time for organizations to reimagine and reinvent the way they work and seize the opportunity to create a strong people-first culture where everyone can thrive. So we are building the next generation of tools for hybrid working. With Kadence, you can bring your team together even as they work separate, individualized hours at self-determined locations. We make it feel like your team is just as fused and on the same page as if you were sitting together in an office
“Of course our top recommendation for help with restructuring your workday is our helpful and loved software, Kadence, allowing you to unleash your potential and power a more positive way of getting work done. We believe we can aid you in balancing your professional and personal life. Because we also believe the way we work should lift us up, not lock us in–enabling people to flourish in everything they do.”
Utilize Time Management Programs
Matt Miller, Founder & CEO of Embroker, an insurance brokerage
“Let time management apps be your best friend. I am on close personal terms with my calendar app and planner, and I also utilize time tracking and task reminder apps. I like the app Asana for keeping up with my tasks and subtasks, as well as RescueTime for getting reports on how much time I’m spending on different projects so I stay on track.”
Work Around Meetings
Joel Jackson, Founder of Lifeforce, personalized performance program
“Even if you have been given the opportunity to make your own flexible hours, you may still have meetings to attend on a daily or weekly basis. Consider how productive you feel both before and after meetings, if one of those times is when you often find yourself driven to get work done. Then make sure you factor meeting times into your schedule. For instance, if you have previously found yourself ripping through your to-do list before a morning meeting, you might want to structure your day for plenty of time in the morning to work. Or if you leave meetings feeling inspired and driven to get down to work, factor this into your schedule as well. It’s an exciting feeling when you’re given flexibility to work when and where you want, so try to consider all your options and feel out how each adjustment affects you.”
Figure Out When You Work Best
Sumeer Kaur, CEO of Lashkaraa, a fashion house for Indian garments
“The 9-5 workday doesn’t work for everyone because we now understand that one’s most productive hours are going to vary highly from person to person. Just as some people are night owls and others are early birds, we all have different times throughout the day and night when we are most motivated and energized. So if you’re a flexible worker, it’s essential that you figure out your best work hours. You can actually calculate your peak energy time–when you’ll have your peak energy performance–and craft your work schedule around your findings. One reason people are moving away from the 9-5 workday is because it makes more sense to allow employees to work when they feel productive rather than according to what has usually been done.”
Work In a Space That Fosters Productivity
Jaymee Messler, CEO of The Gaming Society, a content and gaming platform
“I don’t know about you, but I find space to be an important element to my creativity and productivity. Office spaces work well for some people, but others need something a little different, which may even change depending on their tasks. I recommend that when you’re working a flexible schedule you find a space that promotes your utmost creativity levels and brain functioning, so your workday, whatever it looks like that day, is efficient. And no matter where you work, take regular breaks where you switch up the scenery, even if this just looks like stepping outside for a few minutes or walking up and down the hallways.”
Structure Your Work Hours Around Time Spent With Loved Ones
Jack Gindi, CEO of Pori Jewelry, highest quality fine jewelry
“The best part of being able to choose your own hours is that there no longer has to be the concern of having to miss important moments in your loved ones’ lives, from the big events that you hang pictures of on the walls to the small daily routines that you look back on and see made up a life. If you work a job with flexible hours, you can create your routine to allow your presence in all the moments you don’t want to miss. Take advantage of the elasticity of your workdays.”
Divide Your Days Into Collaborative and Individual Work Sessions
Daniel Sathyanesan, CEO and Founder of Winden, a business bank to help customers make more money
“You want to be smart with your work hours, even when you’ve been given flexibility to decide how and when you work. Something I’ve found to be a smart working tactic for me is being wise about what time I devote to collaborative work and what time I devote to individual work. For instance, I spend a certain part of my day in active communication and answering to others’ needs, but I also shift my mindset and section off a part of my day shutting all communication off and working interrupted. I am clear with people about when I will be available and when I won’t, and during some of my unavailable time I work focusedly and uninterruptedly. Figure out what works for you and make sure you prioritize those deep focus sessions.”
The former standard workday of rigid 9-5 worker schedules is a thing of the past now that business professionals have realized they can do better, more productive work when provided flexibility to determine their own hours and weekdays. From business owners with expertise in how to balance work and personal life, we’ve looked at their top suggestions for how to make the restructured workday work for you. Don’t hesitate to implement their advice into your own schedule to open up a new world of work flexibility.
