Product Description

A whopping 95 percent of working adults are concerned about spending more time with their families, according to a recent study on workplace trends. Another recent Harris Poll reported that the majority of young workers would gladly trade money for family time. Clearly, balancing work and family has become one of the biggest concerns-not only for individual workers but also for corporate America, which is scrambling to devise benefits and perks to recruit and retain the best workers. Balancing Acts shares dozens of creative, often no-cost, practical ideas both for individuals and for organizations to help employees feel connected, fulfilled, and productive as they learn to blend work and home responsibilities in a new and resourceful way. The word balance, however, can create instant guilt in many employees. In Balancing Acts, author Barbara Glanz provides a guiltfree way of thinking about work-home struggles by using a process she calls "blending." By examining the interaction of the six key areas of our lives-work, family, friends, health, spirit, and service-she shows how to diffuse the guilt associated with the impossible goal of work-life balance. Readers will learn how to identify where they are spending the bulk of their time and energy today and, using some simple, creative, low-cost ideas and straightforward guidelines, how they can readjust their lifestyles to incorporate all six areas easily. The solutions are often fairly painless and pretty simple-ideal for busy people and caring organizations that want sensible ways to defuse stress and create some calm in a frenetic and fast-paced world. Through her vast experience as a professional speaker to business groups and top-tier corporations, she has tested and fine-tuned her ideas. In an easy-to-read style, laced with gems from John McPherson's Close to Home cartoon strip, Glanz fires off practical advice for taking control of the pressures at home and work.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1232974 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-11
• Released on: 2003-04-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Customer Reviews

This Book is Fully Loaded
Barbara Glanz is balanced. Well, no she's not either. Barbara Glanz is multi-focused, coming from her heart (the soft stuff) as well as from her head (loads of information and advice). Result: she produced a heart-felt tool to enrich your life.

The title is deceiving, but is clarified in the subtitle. Balancing Acts. Hey, we're all trying to be better balanced in today's rush-rush life where work, family, personal, spiritual, and community aspects compete for our time, attention, and devotion. Glanz's advice? Give it up. That elusive "balance" won't happen. Instead, blend your work and non-work lives so the ever-changing combination works for you. The formula will be different for each of us, and many of us need some good ideas about how to design our own personal mix. As the subtitle tells us, this easy-to-use volume delivers more than 250 blending ideas for your consideration.

The chapters are well-organized, following an introduction that nicely sets the stage for why this issue is so important-for people like you and me and for employers. Following a foundation chapter and a section on understanding the various facets of our lives, the text is organized into chapters exploring ideas to blend work with family, friends, health, spirit, and service. A summary chapter pulls it all together.

The writing is conversational in tone; this is a very comfortable book to read. Call-outs and cartoons enhance the ease and fun of the experience. Supplementing the chapters are an appendix of questions that will prompt productive discussions with family (and yourself). You'll also find pages of resources, including notes and a bibliography that will empower you to continue growing even beyond where this book will take you.

Expect to mark up the pages, turn down the corners, and keep this book around for a while. This attachment means you'll probably purchase additional copies for your friends, relatives, and co-workers. Be sure to inscribe the copy you give to your boss!

BALANCE YOUR LIFE AND WORK!
Barbara Glanz is a tried and true author who speaks to your heart as well as to your head - and she has done it again! "Balancing Acts" is a practical how-to book that offers specific, proven techniques for dealing with the guilt associated with trying to do everything you feel responsible for in your life.

Glanz looks realistically at the typical situations most of us have to cope with at different points in our lives. She provides creative, proven solutions for blending work and life along with the guilt-busters that will allow you to apply these ideas guiltfree and change the way you live, and enjoy, your life.

This is not your basic read. As usual, Barbara has based this, her sixth, book on deep research, which is impeccable, as well as her own personal experiences. You will find this book entertaining as well as enlightening. Includes helpful exercises and lists great additional resources.

Authentic and immediately usable. Highly recommended.