Balance

The Balance Domain is defined by a desire to maintain healthy work boundaries. 

Balanced pace

Having the BALANCED PACE motive means you’re most satisfied and at ease when your workday fits into a rhythm that feels optimal to you. BALANCED PACE is in the Balance Domain along with the WORK/LIFE HARMONY motive. For some, having an optimal pace helps support the balance you are seeking in their work and personal life. This motive is not about working fast or slow, or not having deadlines to meet. Rather, having the BALANCED PACE motive indicates your desire to meet work responsibilities with enough attention and margin left to catch errors, enjoy your process, and review progress and results. The exact pacing will be specific to you. You may be the fastest-working person on your team, or you may be one of the most moderated. In either case, if you often have to compromise quality, mental health, or your own equilibrium for the sake of speed or tight timelines, you’re going to be frustrated and discouraged. You prefer a margin for meeting expectations, and perform to the best of your abilities when you can balance your tasks with your own sense of pace. For this reason, rush jobs, unreasonable urgency, and unrealistic deadlines (especially if this is the constant norm) are demotivating to you. Your productivity thrives in rhythms that allow you to tackle professional goals with holistic consideration so you can perform at your best.

 You feel this motive being met when…

+ You feel like you have enough time to do what you need to do, and to do it to your best standards and at your own pace.  

+ Your deadlines, assignments, and the pace expected of you feel realistic and manageable.

+ You don’t feel judged or penalized for working at your own pace.

 

 This motive is at risk when…

– You feel time-deprived or rushed, either by your supervisor(s), colleagues, yourself, or the external pressures of your industry.

– You don’t have time each day to enjoy your work or to balance tasks and deadlines.

–Your deadlines are stressful, and you feel burnt out, or in danger of burning out.

–Even when you complete your work in a timely manner, you feel insecure (or at risk of being judged or penalized) for not working faster or accomplishing more.

A Work Wellness Check-In for BALANCED PACE

 

  1.  On a scale of 1 to 10, how would I describe the shared pace at my job? (1 = slow and steady, deadlines are suggestions; 10 = break-neck fast, deadlines are paramount) What would the answer be if I set the pace?
  2. Do I often sacrifice quality, thoughtful decision-making, or personal sanity for quicker or more readily visible results?
  3. How easy or difficult is it for me to set boundaries when it comes to a work timeline?
  4. Even when I avoid procrastination, do I frequently feel rushed? How many times per week do I feel like I have to rush to finish something? Rarely? Several times a day?
  5. Is my average workday dominated by a sense of urgency? If so, where is the source of that urgency? Is this pressure helpful? If not, where is the source of that urgency? Is this source something I can influence? If I need the support of others to lessen this, have I asked them?

 

  1. Am I realistic with myself and others about the pace and resources needed to successfully deliver certain results? Is this something I can work on?
  2. When have the people I worked with help me support the pace I need? Have I told them it was valuable for me? Will letting others know if they push back a deadline or allow me to do something on my own timeline, that is positively impact my wellbeing motivate them to continue to support this motive for me?
  3. Is the pace that I impose on myself at work practical? Is it healthy? Does it respect this motive?
  4. Do I know how to ask for support when I need it? Are there things I can delegate to free time and energy?
  5. If the ideal pace I desire isn’t possible on everything, can I proactively bring a compromise to the table and determine where the timing or pacing is most important for me and where I can adhere to others timing?
 

  1. How often do I commit to deadlines I find unreasonable? How often do I oppose a problematic or unrealistic deadline? If I don’t speak up, what stops me?
  2. If a deadline or expectation feels unreasonable, and I tell my clients, supervisors or management, what is the response?
  3. Do I struggle with procrastination or time management? What are my time – and energy-management strategies for tight deadlines outside of my control? How can I grow in this area?