Work-life leaders must be enablers. By that I mean you have to do more than go in and sell a program. You have to foster culture change through facilitation, delegation, and inspiration.

Enabling Managers

It takes a new way of working to manage flexible and remote teams. Unfortunately, most managers simply haven’t been given the support they need to make that transition.

Managers aren’t being trained on how to evaluate remote workers. They haven’t learned how to create results-based job descriptions with built-in performance metrics. And they don’t how to build team collaboration when everyone isn’t gathered around the same table.

There are all sorts of things you can do to build manager skills. Flex training for managers and/or teams, coaching, on-demand training, and peer discussion groups are just a few of the tools we recommend.

Remember, sometimes it takes a lot of hand-to-hand combat to get results. It may feel like slow going to win one manager over at a time, but eventually you’ll reach that critical mass that makes a real difference for company culture.

Enabling Employees

Employees are often their own worst enemies when it comes to work-life success. The best performers often take on too much or feel somehow guilty if they’re not putting in 10-hour days. They burn themselves out.

Others feel too insecure to stretch themselves. And still others take care of everyone but themselves and, consequently, miss out on realistic chances for career advancement.

In my experience, a coach-on-call program is hands-down one of the most influential work-life programs you can offer. A coaching program helps change behaviors and mindsets and ultimately leads to culture change.

Hand Holding Encouraged

Being a change agent means more than introducing change. To have lasting success, we must be advocates and champions.

Sometimes change takes a lot of hand holding.  Are you enabling others to foster change?

- Teresa Hopke
LMW VP