Ben Renshaw |
Ben Renshaw
is the author of Balancing Work and Life. We’ve
spoken to him about his book and how he manages to achieve
a good work/life balance for himself. Does he practice
what he preaches? Find out below! |
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Balancing Work and Life explores how to avoid workaholism
and burnout within the workplace. What inspired you to co-author
this book?
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The subject has always
been close to my heart. I grew up at The Yehudi Menuhin
School as a violinist practising 8 hours a day - not a
great recipe for balance. When I changed direction and
became self-employed in the field of coaching and corporate
training, I was again challenged with long hours. I became
a father of 6 months ago, so balance has taken on a deeper
meaning. In order to achieve sustainable success and perform
well it is essential to avoid workaholism and burnout.
Since success is a journey, not a destination, making
sure that you manage it well is of paramount importance.
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You have recently been working on a
new television series for Channel 4 - which doubtlessly involved
long hours and a lot of hard work! How do you personally cope
with the pressures of a demanding career?
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It's a constant balancing
act! I ensure that I have some quiet time to start the
day. I use this to focus my intention for shaping my day.
Intention inspires outcome, therefore if you are clear
about what is truly important to you it carries you through
any potential pitfalls and obstacles. My wife also plays
an important role. She helps me to keep perspective and
be assertive in my negotiations.
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Balancing Work and Life stresses how
important it is for managers to 'lead by example'. How do you
help to ensure that your colleagues maintain a healthy work/life
balance?
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Mahatma Gandhi once
said,'Be the change that you want to see.' This to me
is the hallmark of great leadership. You then become an
inspiration for your colleagues as they see the transformation
in your own life. The failure to walk the talk results
in lowered morale and cynicism. I also believe that it's
valuable to share your own personal challenge with maintaining
balance so that colleagues recognise the commitment it
takes.
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The book includes some interesting
case studies that help inspire the readers by learning of other
peoples experiences. How did you contact these people, and do
they keep in touch with you with regard to their ongoing success?
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The case histories are
all examples of clients that we have worked with. Maintaining
ongoing contact is one of the rewarding aspects of our
work since it enables us to stay in the loop with their
progress.
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The average employee is working 15%
more hours than they were 10 years ago, yet books such as Balancing
Work and Life give us an increased awareness of the importance
of having a rich and fulfilled personal life. Do you feel that
such awareness has increased over the past decade, or are we
neglecting our personal lives more than ever?
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The world has speeded
up. We live faster and work faster than ever. Geoff Yang
(a CEO) said, 'Yesterday, the big ate the small. Now,
the fast eat the slow.' In these fast-changing times there
is definitely a growing awareness of the importance of
things such as family, health and leisure. An event such
as September 11th also brings home what is really meaningful.
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One chapter in the book is entitled
'Putting Together Your Own Jigsaw' - exploring how the various
pieces of one's life are all important. Do you believe it is
ever possible to fully complete the jigsaw, or do we just keep
building it?
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The jigsaw keeps changing
as we keep developing. I believe that we can have an overall
vision for our work and life, but the key is be flexible
and innovative in being able to adapt to changing conditions
and expectations.
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You also help run 'The Happiness Project',
which offers a number of exciting programmes in coaching and
personal development. Can you explain a bit more about it?
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The Happiness Project
is a psychology-based programme that explores the role
of happiness in all areas of our lives. We run a variety
of public and corporate programmes which enable participants
to make changes for the better in their work and life.
Our clients include Accenture, BT, BBC, British Aerospace,
Shell, BUPA, Boots and The NHS. For information on all
our courses and products please visit www.happiness.co.uk
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all
the best with balancing your work and life.
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Want to
learn more about how to reach fulfillment
in your life? Click on the image (left) to find out
about the Happiness Project! |
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