Work-life balance

The ABA Journal published a podcast yesterday entitled "Do Reduced-Hour Workloads Derail Partnership-Track Careers?" (http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/podcast_monthly_episode_8) Here's the description from the ABA Journal:

"Work-life balance is always a hot topic among our readers, but this month our podcast guests were the ones fired up in a heated discussion about the realities of practicing law, raising children and making it all work.

ABA Journal Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward led our guests through a frank debate examining whether reduced-hour workloads derail partner-track careers; how female attorneys can gain more power over their schedules; and whether computer software that simulates client interactions adequately prepares students and underutilized associates to practice law."

Fifty-two percent of employees say that job demands interfere with family or home responsibilities, while 43% say that home and family responsibilities interfere with job performance (American Psychological Association, 2007)(cited in the APA's Psychologically Healthy Workplace Fact Sheet)

When I read this statistic yesterday, I wondered if the data would be different in a survey of law firms. Based on my own anecdotal evidence, my guess is yes. The design of the workplace and the structure of the workday embed conflict with family responsibilities.

In the spirit of this website, I'd like to ask the question:

What if lawyers were peacemakers in their own workplaces, creating solutions to work-family conflict?

Please chime in in the comments.

In his "Work Matters" blog at Psychology Today, Robert I. Sutton, author of "The No Asshole Rule," asserts detachment can be as important as passion for maintaining well-being. Sutton presents two main reasons: 1) human cognitive limits prevent us from being fully passionate about everything we do, so we need to be indifferent about things that don't matter; and 2) passion is a recipe for self-destruction if you are in a poisonous setting, so exercising detachment is necessary for self-preservation.
Sutton also discusses change management consultant Ann Michael's idea that passion can blind one to the big picture and be confused for license to be a jerk. He points to David Maister's confession of being an asshole when he "got overexcited and overenthused on a topic."

Passion is a hallmark of the Inner Purpose in my 7 Purposes of Wellness model. Here is an excerpt from my Introduction to Purpose eBook:

The ABA Journal recently picked up a Texas Lawyer article by coach and psychologist James Dolan on the fantasy of achieving a perfect "work-life balance." While Dolan's article is thoughtful and hints that finding this balance requires some introspection into the meaning and purpose of one's life, the ABA Journal's distillation is flat and trite. The article reduces his advice to "work toward a schedule that allows personal and family time, knowing that sacrifices have to be made on one side or the other."