Balancing act - The traditional concept of work-life balance, where work and personal life exist in separate domains, is increasingly outdated. In the industrial era, most work was either dull, dangerous or dirty. Work was the price we paid for funding our lifestyle. It was fair to say that many of us did not enjoy work, so we were keen to ringfence it. Thus the notion of work-life balance emerged. The nature of work back then was typically location dependent. It was impractical to attach doors to partially completed cars unless the assembly line passed through your living room. Shift based working also made it easier to separate work and life. Work's a beach But today, we can work from anywhere - a coffee shop, our living room, our bathroom and even our bed. With good internet connectivity and some specialised equipment, it is possible to carry out surgical procedures from home whilst bickering with the family. Post Covid there is a whole generation of people who perceive work as being simply one aspect of their lives. They do not want to be identified solely by their profession and they do not want to be hemmed in, “Tell me what to do and when it is needed and I’ll get it done”. As far as they are concerned, the fact that the work is done after an all-nighter in another hemisphere to their primary workplace or interwoven with a cycling holiday in a not so near mountain range is not an issue the employer should concern themselves with. Thus the notion of leave now enjoys a degree of fluidity. There is nothing wrong with this. The trick is being so good at what you do that you can call the employment shots. Why? We also need to consider our rationale for working. Is it just to pay the bills, or is the plan to become world class or the path to self-discovery? Therefore, in some cases, unless you perceive work and life as one and the same, you are a dabbler. However, most of us are not on a warrior monk path and so we do need to manage our work-life integration with care. In any case, work-life integration has the potential to make life more interesting, be more productive (in theory at least) and dramatically improve job satisfaction. Worker beware Failing to exercise care in respect of work-life integration can lead to: Burnout – Some managers assume you are 24x7 available. This is like walking around with a cortisol drip attached. Random interruptions coupled with the anticipation of random interruptions result in never being able to relax and recharge. Strained relationships – Taking a call as your partner to be glides up the aisle may well impress your boss but is unlikely to impress anyone else. A fragmented life – Too much swapping between work and life commitments can result in most of your energy being spent on task switching rather than achieving outcomes, eg. completing that report or finishing that bedtime story. Eliminate boundary disputes To reap the benefits of work-life integration whilst avoiding its risks, both individuals and organisations must adopt intentional strategies: Set clear boundaries – Define specific work hours and communicate them to colleagues. Use time-blocking techniques to allocate time for personal and professional responsibilities. Leverage technology wisely – Use tools that enhance efficiency (e.g., automation, asynchronous communication) rather than increase the workload. Silence non-essential notifications outside of work hours. Prioritise outcomes over hours – Shift the focus from working long hours to achieving meaningful results. Organisations should measure productivity based on impact, not time spent online. Promote well-being – Schedule breaks, engage in physical activity, and create rituals that separate work from personal life. Leaders should model healthy integration practices. Create organisational support systems – Companies should implement policies such as flexible working arrangements, mental health support, and clear expectations around after-hours communication. Decentralise leadership – Allow the workers to decide how the work gets done. Buurtzorg, a Dutch healthcare organisation, lets its nurses determine how patient-centric care is delivered. The future of work – Pay it backward Work-life integration has cultural implications. Organisational culture done well will ease your path to becoming an effective part of the team. The understanding is that the new joiner will someday help other new joiners. As social animals, we need human contact and we have a need to be helpful at a personal level. Ultimately work is more than a mechanism for engineering the perfect lifestyle. It is about creating value by bringing our humanity to bear. With intentionality and good boundary management, work-life integration can lead to a healthier existence.

Learn then earn Reality and the notion of a career are at war. It appears that reality is winning. The learn – work – retire model is fraying and has been for some time. The 20th century idea that a predefined level of educational frontloading would enable you to jump on an ascending career conveyor belt that gracefully took your gene pool to new socioeconomic heights is now a genre of nostalgia. Unlike some of my university friends, who saw graduation as the jettisoning of their career rocket booster, I had no idea what I wanted to do. As an unexceptional astrophysics graduate, science wasn’t an option, so I drifted into software engineering. Bureaucratically in the eighties getting into the startup world was not dissimilar to seeking permission to build a casino in your rented accommodation. Failure is not an option The option to instantly create a pre-IPO startup with one Chat-GPT prompt wasn’t an option. Bureaucratically in the eighties getting into the startup world was not dissimilar to seeking permission to build a casino in your rented accommodation. So graduates generally headed off in the direction of the professions – law, architecture, medicine and so on, whilst some decided to take their chances in ‘big industry’. There was a sense that you had to get this right first time otherwise you had better enlist a speechwriter to help you craft an explanation for your failed mission at the next reunion. This of course was a problem for many people who had been pushed into the professions by parents seeking dinner party validation. It took a great deal of courage to jump off the socioeconomic conveyor belt, given the associated social shame. Look back in anger? At the other end of the spectrum, we read the heartfelt stories of people embarking on retirement. Some of these stories are of course underpinned by a non-disclosure agreement, whilst others are an attempt to make sense of what just happened and how the professional path they took was in some way elegantly designed. These stories usually come from people who have entwined their identity and their career to such an extent that what they now feel is a sense of partial paralysis. Standardisation of the employment framework within sectors enabled people to have one career spanning several organisations. Au revoir certainty My rambling point is that careers are largely over. Careers require societal stability and predictability. This enables organisations to chart their courses accurately and thus implement an employment framework that from an employee’s perspective looks like a career. At one point, one could have a complete career with one employer. Standardisation of the employment framework within sectors enabled people to have one career spanning several organisations. Today society and the market are no longer stable and predictable. This has been the case for some time. But such is the nature of exponential change, that the changes are largely imperceptible until the tsunami is upon us. So those of us who acknowledge this reality will be better able to adapt to the chaos that lies ahead. This will be the thrust of subsequent editions of this blog. One could say that we are now in a world where we have multiple careers with multiple employers. But I believe we are even past this and so it would be better to think multiple gigs, multiple clients. Given the precarity of employment the difference between permanent and temporary employment is now blurred. Today’s barrister is tomorrow’s intelligent legal agent. Why bother? So what are we to think? Is it pointless to think in terms of careers? Yes and no. In my view traditional careers are dead or dying. Today’s barrister is tomorrow’s intelligent legal agent. A piece of software that will interact with other judicial software agents. Today’s heart surgeon will be tomorrow’s car tyre fitter. The tech tsunami is upon us. We can make sense of our existence, at least professionally, by choosing a path that on reflection will look like a good return on our labour. Following your passion is a mistake. Pick a path So at best, we can choose a north star even if we don’t know what the associated path will be. So what are our north star options? Common aspirations include: Pay the bills Become rich Be famous Help others Acquire mastery Make a difference Maximise free time. These are not mutually exclusive. But know that if you optimise for one you might de-optimise for others. Ultra-distance runners accept optimising for endurance is de-optimising for speed. But of course rich and famous is possible. And such people can even make a difference. But they probably had to prioritise one initially and the others become fortuitous by-products. Mastery is an interesting one. My initial goal was to become a database expert. This made economic sense at the time. However the commoditisation of database technology forced a rethink. Following your passion is a mistake. Identifying market supply-demand imbalances is the way forward. We will get into this in subsequent editions.

Who’s calling the shots? In a perfect world, one where classical economic theory applies, there would always be an even balance between the supply of workers and the demand for them. Reality, boosted by increasing disruption, makes this increasingly rare. Thus there is continual fluctuation between whether the talent or the employer has the upper hand. Clearly people with rare and in-demand skills can call the shots assuming would be employers are aware of their existence. This is why having a strong professional brand and good connections into the recruitment industry are important. Let’s assume that you happen to be in the position where you can choose whom you work for. You will likely be looking to maximise the return on your time, ie your remuneration, and possibly acquire some new skills in the process. Show me the money! At the outset of my career, this was the extent to which I evaluated potential employers. My focus was purely on the economic aspects with little to no consideration given to cultural fit and so on. If the workplace was convivial then that was a bonus. I now realise that the best workplaces are those that make us feel human. It didn’t take long to realise that there were other factors of equal if not greater importance than remuneration, given that I would be spending a significant percentage of my lifeforce in the workplace. Machine earning In recent years, my work has involved studying organisations alongside other overlapping disciplines such as anthropology, sociology and human performance. I now realise that the best workplaces are those that make us feel human. A legacy of the industrial model is stressed workers, largely because it treats individuals more like machine components or resources than human beings. The following is a list of themes I would encourage you to explore during the interview process. Even if you are not a high flyer and lack a plan B, at least you know what you are getting into. Autonomy – To what extent will I be in charge of the quality of my work? Sociality – Am I expected to spend my day in my cubicle / office, only engaging with others in matters related to the organisation? Mobility – To what extent is the workplace designed to encourage people to move, or do managers prefer people to eat at the desk? Work life integration – Will I be expected to suppress my personal life during office hours? Will I be expected to take emails at 2am? Creativity – Will I be expected to adhere rigidly to the process manual or are people encouraged to find new ways of doing things? Curiosity – To what extent are people encouraged to explore beyond the remit of their job specification? Purpose – Culturally, is there a common esprit de corps that goes beyond making the owners / shareholders rich? Courage – Will any attempts at constructively challenging the way the organisation works be met with disdain? Productivity – Will I be judged / remunerated by the time I spend working (or at least being seen to work) or by my outputs? Good health! These are key elements of what makes us human. The more of these that hold true, the more human we will feel working with this employer. Keep in mind that the less human we feel, the more anxious we become. That will ultimately affect our health and value creation capability. Keep in mind that the less human we feel, the more anxious we become. Creating human-friendly work environments is a win for all stakeholders. Just ensure that your next employer is enlightened enough to know that.

Ade McCormack helps leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption. His AdaptiveU blog focuses on helping individuals thrive professionally. AdaptiveU blog Whilst much of my work is organisationally-focused , I also take an interest in the career implications of an increasingly disruptive world. Increase your chances of staying economically relevant by subscribing to the AdaptiveU newsletter. Newsletter sign up Work-life integration: Pay it backward The future of careers Career options: Adapt or stall Is this employer right for you? Is it time for a career rethink? Receive exclusive insights on how to be professionally attractive in an increasingly disruptive world. Plus receive regular extracts from Ade's book - Beyond Nine to Five over the coming weeks. AdaptiveU newsletter sign up

Ade McCormack helps leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace disruption. Take a look at his forward thinking work on how organisations need to evolve. The Adaptive Edge Initiative The Adaptive Edge Initiative is where I develop my perspectives on how organisations and societies adapt to an increasingly disruptive world. This work underpins the services that I offer. Visit the Adaptive Edge Initiative

Press and Media I help leaders create intelligent organisations optimised to embrace increasing disruption. Here are some of the most popular ways I support clients in achieving their objectives. Photos Short bio Career history Published in Books Live Miscellaneous Photos Use one or more of these for your promotional materials. Crop as required. Return to top Short bio This can be trimmed to exclude irrelevant points: I am a former technologist with a background in astrophysics who today is focused on how organisations adapt to what is an increasingly complex world. Some key points: Financial Times columnist for a decade on leadership matters. Lectured at MIT Sloan on leadership matters. Work with the University of Cambridge (Moller Institute) on leadership education. Trained in astrophysics and have worked in space science for the European Space Agency. Worked in over forty countries across the world across multiple sectors with many of the world’s most prominent brands. Engaged with former government leaders globally in the creation of a book focused on reimagining government. Written six books on strategic and societal matters. Worked with the European Commission, including authoring a book on the future of skills in Europe. Return to top Career history This is some background on my career to date. It may inpart help position me when Iam being introduced prior to speaking: 1 -Technical I had a childhood interest in astronomy. So you can imagine my surprise when I discover that studying astrophysics was a little more complicated. Thus I embarked on a career in software engineering. However, I was able to call upon my astrophysics degree when I worked at the European Space Agency on a cosmology programme. Through the defence sector, I developed a very deep understanding of technology as my roles initially involved: Real-time naval ship systems Electronic warfare Avionics lifecycle management Naval battlefield simulation Fighter jet management systems. Software engineering also took me into the worlds of: Investment banking Maritime search and rescue People management. I drifted into project management. For a bit of variety I got involved in training new entrants in software engineering and eventually experienced technologists in systems analysis and design. 2 – Educational I eventually set up my own company which focused largely on demystifying technology for businesspeople. I realised that there was a divide between technology people, who could not see the bigger context for the systems they were building and maintaining, and the users who had no idea what the technologists were saying. Initially this started with supporting service companies that engaged with technologists, eg. staffing companies and consultancies. Eventually this bubbled up to the c-suite. I managed to convince the Financial Times that they needed a column focused on digital leadership, which I penned for a decade. I was also engaged by the FT Live organisation to chair CxO dinners and conferences. This helped me develop an understanding of the issues leaders faced and it helped me develop some impressive contacts. Today some of my time is involved with leadership development. I have lectured at MIT Sloan as part of their MBA programme and today I am actively involved in leadership development with the Moller Institute, Churchill College, University of Cambridge. Over time, I found myself developing as a keynote speaker. 3 – Advisory My time spent writing, educating and keynoting helped me to develop the ability to convey insights in an engaging and memorable manner. Just as well as I was increasingly being invited to advise business and government leaders on matters of leadership, particularly in the context of societal upheaval and increasing disruption. This has led to many high impact engagements. Examples include, advising: One of the world’s leading banks on how to transition from slow technology follower to early adopter leader. Startups from around the world. The world’s largest technology organisations on how to attract and retain senior executive buyers. A government on how to set up an innovation centre optimised for ministers. A national sports association on how to navigate an increasingly disrupted world. A healthcare manufacturing company on how to harness the creativity of its people. Today, I am considered an expert on the drivers shaping our future and on how to build organisations that can embrace this increasing volatility. My delivery mechanisms are a mixture of advisory and, keynoting. I have also set up the Adaptive Edge Initiative . My focus on living systems and harnessing our natural human tendencies is well received by all stakeholders. Over the last four decades, I have worked in forty countries, across many sectors. My experience is unique, deep and broad. It is not clouded by the ‘trend du jour’. Most importantly, I don’t have all the answers. We are now operating in a ‘post-case studies’ world. My role is to help you create an organisation that can sense, decide and act with confidence regardless of what crosses your path. Return to top Published in I was a columnist for the Financial Times for a decade focusing on leadership matters. I have also been a columnist for a number of other publications: Return to top Books authored I am the author of several books, including one written for the European Commission on the future of skills in Europe.I have also produced reports and articles for Microsoft, HPE, Manpower, VMWare, Cisco, Pitney Bowes and other major brands. Return to top Miscellaneous Here is some information that is often required by event organisers: I am based just outside of London. London Heathrow is my nearest airport. I have no special dietary requirements. I prefer a lavalier or headset microphone and not a handheld. If my slides are to be integrated into a conference deck, I will need to see my embedded slides before the day of the event as this can detrimentally impact the slides. My slides can be shared with the participants in PDF format. I can provide this. I am happy to sign books if you choose to include one of mine as a participant gift. Return to top Do you need anything else? Contact me