Home/Work Life Balance

This home/work life balance thing has been very difficult recently. I work for the Michigan Department of Education in an office that is responsible for carrying out all of Michigan's statewide testing programs for K-12 students. The office is also responsible for creating school report cards for federal- and state-required reports.

Starting in July 2004, I had been the psychometrician for our office (psychometrics is a specialized branch of statistics that focuses on taking the many answers students give to test questions and creating the best possible overall scores for those students). In that position, I was responsible for safeguarding the quality of the test scores that our contractors produce. I had no one to supervise but myself and an occasional graduate student to conduct special studies for the office. I felt that my work/life balance was in pretty good shape at that time. Of course, Cindi may feel differently.

Then, the manager of our two largest tests took another job within the department. Several months later, I interviewed for that position, and was asked to fill it in December 2006. In that position, I became ultimately responsible for planning and carrying out all aspects of our two largest tests. I then had sixteen staff members in my unit. Taking on managerial responsibilities has been a steep learning curve, but I have enjoyed it. As I stepped into the new position, I had to function in my old position as well for several months until we could hire someone to replace me. For a few months there, I struggled considerably with leaving work and work and being present at home. But, as I see it, I finally began to regain that balance. Of course, Cindi may feel differently!

Then in September of 2007 the director of my office resigned and took a job at the nearby university. I was asked to head up half of the office, as it was informally split into two pieces. In that capacity, my additional responsibilities include supervising school report card, psychometric, IT, and financial management staff. I then had an additional thirteen people on my staff. The new responsibilities have also presented a significant learning curve, and significant difficulties in leaving work at work when I come home.

Finally, in January 2008, the office was reunited and I was asked to head up the reunited office. In that capacity, my additional responsibilities include supervising the planning and carrying out of our smaller volume tests for students with disabilities and limited English proficiency. I have had an additional eight people added to my staff. The pain of reorganization has not yet subsided, and Cindi has said to her friends that at home I am a basket case because I am as of right now unable to leave work at work. I have also been working late many days to keep up on issues that have arisen.

It is clear to me that I need to work more on my home/work life balance. Cindi and the kids are suffering under this, especially as I have had a hard time leaving work at work; and since I have have been ill three times since this all started (probably stress related). I also need to work on my perfectionism, as there is so much to get done, and only so much time in which to do it.

One thing I have done is to start surrendering my Blackberry to Cindi when I come home so that I can't tell when work-related emails and phone calls come in. A small thing, but I think it is helpful. Delegation has also been helpful, but I already have a very small staff relative to the amount of responsibility and work with which they are charged.

There are, of course, times when the workload is heavier than others, and this is one of those times. We have just issued or are about to issue bids for all of our testing programs at the same time as office reorganization. I see things letting up within the next couple of months, but of course, I am going to need to continue to work on the home/work life balance. Especially the presence and irritability issues at home.