Monday, December 17, 2012

Facilitate … with balance ... especially at Christmas!


As I work at my computer eight days before Christmas, writing a report for a December 31 deadline, my thoughts wander to work/family/play balance.  How am I doing with this balance?  I know my family is my #1 biggest and best priority and I will drop work to play with and to help them.  Usually, my work is play (except for bookkeeping!) and I keep a good balance between work and play.  Although, this does slip.  Three Christmases ago, I took 1½ days off to celebrate and then was back to the office.  NOT doing that again!

 As I ponder about balances in life, I realize that I have another teeter-totter that I frequently ride.  It is the balance between “live” facilitation and “behind the scenes” preparation and report writing.  I often go through stretches of work where I am facilitating on-site or virtually with a group.  Then, I will go through stretches where I am designing sessions, researching information, and writing reports.  I find that after weeks of live facilitation, I long for the quiet, and reflection and introspection time that work in my office gives me.  Then, after several weeks of report writing, I am eager to be back with a group, working together, talking, laughing and achieving success.

 I know that I am very fortunate to ride this facilitation teeter-totter!  As long as the stretches on each end aren’t too long! 

My facilitation blog questions are:  What are you balancing in your life and work?  How do you deal with actual facilitation and behind the scenes preparation and writing work?