JOBS: How to Achieve a Better Work Life Balance
Many of us have experienced situations in our lives where we felt work had begun to take over or become too much.
Leah Mukangai 
Sometimes you are even left in a dilemma and might decide to quit. Quitting should not be an option especially if you have no other alternative. The best way is to analyze yourself and also find a way in which you can solve the situation at hand.
So, in difficult times like this, when many people are adjusting to new ways of working, it may be even more important to establish healthy work boundaries.
Examining things in terms of work-life balance - how your time and energy is distributed across various aspects of your life - can be beneficial.
Leisure time with family or friends, and other activities outside of work all matter to us in different ways. Sometimes you have to give your job extra attention, or you may feel like work has prevented you from fitting in all of the activities you want into your week.
“The problem is that lack of work-life balance over an extended period can lead to burnout, which can be dangerous, so it’s important to recognize the symptoms ahead of time,” Leah Lambart of Relaunch Me Career Consulting states.
“Working for long periods without leaving your desk, checking emails when you should be present with family or friends, working weekends, and eating lunch and/or dinner at your desk are all signs that you don’t have a good work-life balance,” she adds
Here are some tips to help you have a better work-life balance.
1. Take care of your health
This is the most important thing that you should be cautious with. Your health comes first at all times. When you have good health, you'll be able to work well and also handle anything that comes your way.
Make it a habit to get enough sleep and exercise, and remember to reward yourself for your efforts by treating yourself every now and then.
2. Examine your situation
You have control over everything you do so it should be your job to ensure that you examine all the activities that you are to work on. Ensure that you evaluate them in a manner that will best suit you.
Consider your most important values and how you want to spend your time. Once you've established that, Lambart suggests brainstorming small changes you can make that will have a big impact overall, such as forcing yourself to take a lunch break several times a week to exercise or chat with a friend.
3. Managing expectations
Set boundaries by telling colleagues and clients when you will and will not be working so they do not expect you to be available 24/7. Also, be truthful about your personal requirements.
If you have to work late every day just to get by, notify your boss that your workload is unsustainable. If you have a tendency to prioritize the needs of others over your own, learn to say no occasionally to new projects and extra commitments that will eat up your time and won't contribute to achieving your work or personal objectives.
4. Plan for fun activities
Make plans with family and friends to ensure that your personal time is productive. Connecting digitally is important to many of us right now, but make an effort to spend some time away from it as well. Turn off electronic devices for a set period of time each evening or weekend so you can devote your full attention to the people and activities that are most important to you.
5. Seek professional help
Talk to a mental health provider if your life feels too chaotic to manage and you're spinning your wheels worrying about it. Take advantage of available services if you have access to an employee assistance program.
Work-life balance is an ongoing process as your family, interests, and job change. Examine your priorities on a regular basis and make changes as needed to ensure you're on track.
Here are job samples in Nairobi that you can apply for.
JOB 1: Business Development Officer / Analyst at The Nairobi Women’s Hospital
About The Nairobi Women’s Hospital
Job Description:
Based at Corporate Office and reporting to the Marketing and Business Development Manager, this position is responsible for developing and implementing tools to collect business information and analyzing the results in order to support business decisions leading to sustained volumes and improved service levels.
Qualifications:
- Degree in a business-related field with demonstrated experience in research and analysis with a clear drive to identify business opportunities and improve customer service standards.
- The position requires active knowledge and experience in Customer Service and business growth.
- The successful candidate must have 3 to 5 years of experience in a similar position.
Method of Application
Job Purpose:
Growth of IFA business to meet set annual premium targets
Key Responsibilities
- Secure new corporate business through intermediaries
- Retain existing corporate business as per set objectives
- Maintain excellent customer service to intermediaries and clients
- Service existing business and resolve customer complaints
- Follow up on renewals for corporate general insurance business
- Forward proposal forms to the underwriting department
- Follow up premium collections for corporate clients
- Prepare weekly and daily reports as required
- Undertake initial underwriting in accordance with set guidelines to ensure sound acceptance of risk
- Respond to customer and client inquiries
- Follow up on commissions and claims issues emanating from intermediaries
- Recruitment of intermediaries as per set objectives
- Conversion of FA’s and IFA’S in the market to ensure all are placing corporate general insurance business
- Continuous execution of initiatives and strategies per market to ensure meeting of set objectives and reviewing them where need be.
- Training of intermediaries on general insurance products and submitting training schedules to supervisors.
- Use an authorized incentive scheme to bring in new business through training intermediaries on the same and marketing it.
- Creating strategic partnerships with intermediaries for maximum business support.
- Sharing of market intelligence with supervisor
- Work closely with underwriter and branch manager and other lines of business to achieve set objectives
- Perform any other duties as may be assigned from time to time
- Delegated Authority: As per the approved delegated authority matrix
Key Performance Measures
- As described in your Personal Score Card
Knowledge, experience, and qualifications required
- Bachelor’s degree in a business-related field
- Professional qualification in Insurance (ACII, IIK)
- 2-4 year’s relevant experience in the insurance industry
Emerging Leaders in Britam need to:
- Plan, direct and apply efficiencies and resources in order to optimize output and profitability against time, cost, and team targets;
- Effectively communicate strategic and operational departmental goals and objectives to peers and others in order to ensure proper implementation;
- Ensure that department priorities are adhered to and effectively communicated;
- Ensure competent and effective people resources through appropriate coaching, development, and people supervision as appropriate;
- Embody a high performance, proactive culture;
- Effectively ensure the adherence to key performance areas, deadlines and goals in order to optimise operational effectiveness;
- Effectively communicate resource needs, possible opportunities, and achievements to management in order to aid them in their decision-making;
- Effectively set and monitor priorities and objectives for more junior staff;
- Understand and communicate objectives in relation to the larger organizational impact;
- Effectively disseminate knowledge within the correct context, towards subordinates as well as management;
- Appropriately model the company values while setting the pace and energy for delivering;
- Effectively manage and communicate change within the department in order to increase staff and process effectiveness;
- Provide access to accurate and consistent information and services across all channels;
- Ensure a seamless experience for clients;
- Improve service delivery for clients;
- Engage in continuous brand building to become trusted partners to clients.
Technical/ Functional competencies
- Knowledge of insurance regulatory requirements
- Knowledge of insurance products
- Sales and marketing management skills
Method of Application
Job Description:
Reporting to the Audit& Risk Board Committee with operational reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, this position is responsible for the development, review, and implementation of risk, audit policies, and procedures, as well as providing independent and objective assurance on adequacy and effectiveness of organization systems and controls for management of compliance and risk.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in a Business related field with professional qualification in finance and accounting (CPA or its equivalent).
- Certification in auditing such as Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) will be an added advantage.
- The successful candidate must have over 5 years of working experience in a similar position in a busy environment.
