In the earlier times, there had been categorization of the work in our society –in a family set up, man was supposed to look after the outside work mainly earning and gathering necessities for rearing the family and woman used to look after the family members. But the time has changed. Both are now on competition to take over the seat of other. We find that even on those places where due to physical differences woman was not supposed to be there, they are not only doing well but excelling.
Though the facts as on date can not be ignored, some societies are still not ready to accept the female capacity at par with the male. It creates some problem of balancing home and workplace and it may continue till the time the primary responsibility of taking care of the family resides with women. Even in advanced societies, the triple pressure on the women of being a wife, a mother and a worker is experienced. The solution lies in having the right attitude and mindset in the society.
Now, we have been observing some change for recent past with the emergence of two trends – one, there is a growing empathy within organizations towards the challenges being faced by women and many innovative steps are being taken in this direction. Secondly, emerging technologies are making it easier for people to more flexibly and conveniently. Woman should become more aware of these facilities if they exist within their organizations and make most of it.
As a man, you will have to change your attitude towards your female colleague with the consideration that if your wife too might be working somewhere, how she should be treated. As a woman, you need to have equal sense of responsibility with your male colleague. It is true that challenges exist for both, men and women at work, a woman’s responsibilities towards her family can make the matters worse if she has to spend long hours at the workplace of if the work is very much demanding. To overcome these problems, a woman should be able to nurture and derive advantages from an external support system. Being transparent and straightforward may help overcome many of the challenges.
It is known fact that women workers are very good at multi-tasking. They are also more empathetic and good listeners. Today, technology and effective time management tools have made it possible for them to manage home and workplace more efficiently. If they get supportive family and team at workplace, they excel even their male counterparts everywhere, even in those jobs which require extensive touring and a high degree of responsibilities.
Though the organizations on their end must ensure equal opportunity at work to the females, the onus lies on them that they should place their priorities over their family matters and workplace responsibilities. We must not expect every time that the woman must give preference to the family matters. Her husband is equally responsible for proper management of family affairs. If the job is more demanding, the husbands are supposed to co-operate them in shouldering the family responsibilities and flexibly rearranging their roles both sides.
Discipline and time management are the basic tools to creating the right balance between family and home. Of course, there are times when one needs to give late hours at work. None of us can prevent an unforeseen crisis. Sometime, one needs to compromise on the family front but if you have a loving family who respects your professional life, it does not seem touch at all. Similarly, it’s right to miss an official meeting if there is a family emergency but in either of cases, a clear communication is the key to striking a balance. In case it is done and we redefine ourselves at our workplace and even at home, the differences on account of the workload can be curtailed within the families and we can lead our life happily.
Be Happy – Redefine yourself at your workplace.