'It is important to learn to say no and to prioritize'

Cracking a perfect work-life balance is a dream for many. Many people are often burnt out or frustrated in trying to have it all and rumbling around things, but to have it all requires a lot of trial and error. At At the e4m Public Relations & Corporate Communications Women Achievers & Summit Awards, women leaders hailing from the ever-buzzing public relations industry discussed the importance of work-life balance. 

The panel included - Jyotsna Dash Nanda , AVP Corporate Communications, Dharampal Satyapal Group; Bhawna Gupta , Director Client Relations, Hill and Knowlton; Prof (Dr.) Surbhi Dahiya , Professor and Course Director, English Journalism, IIMC; Anshu Khanna, Founder , Goodword Media, while the session moderator was Ritika Upmanyu , exchange4media.

The discussion started on the note of what does a satisfying work and life mean for a women leader. Starting on the same, Dahiya said, “I feel that achieving work-life balance requires, intention and effort. It is about finding the right mix for all of us. And acknowledging that it is okay to recalibrate at times, so by incorporating these principles into our lives we can foster a sense of balance that contributes to our overall well-being.”

Gupta spoke about doing work constantly and how it impacts women. She said, “This question is not only for women, it's for everyone. If you keep doing one thing boredom, saturation and slackness will come. Recharging is very important, when you switch off from one task and concentrate on another, there is an energy inside you, and you feel much more involved.”

Taking the conversation further, Dash spoke about setting boundaries. She said, “Saying no is important for everyone, what to accept and what not to accept. One should know how to prioritize, it is one way of scheduling. The most important thing for us is time management and apart from that, one needs to strategize and understand where they want to draw their boundaries and set the goals accordingly. Goals should match organizational as well as personal goals.” 

The PR industry consists of 75% women while only 30% of women can be seen in leadership role, panelists said that the world is changing now and more women leaders are coming in place. Speaking on the subject, Gupta said, “I work in an organization wherein most of the leaders are women. There is never a question that gives it to a man maybe he will be more capable. We are breaking the ceiling. There are also mature men in the corporate world.”

Similarly, Dahiya said, “Women leaders who are effectively balancing work and life, become powerful role models. They demonstrate that success and leadership don't come at the expense of personal well-being, it encourages more women to pursue leadership roles and I don’t think that stereotyping of women not reaching up is correct, because we have so many inspiring women around us.”

Dash advised young and aspiring leaders and said, “The key is to stop procrastination, we as women should understand what we can do and what we can’t do and there should be no guilt feeling. That’s where it lies.”

Khanna came in later in the discussion to share her experience, she shared that she quit her job when she was raising kids and how her family supported her to get back to work and have a balanced life. She said, “To run a business while taking care of a growing family is not easy and the soon, men recognize that, the better for all of us. I think there has been no work-life balance because work has taken over for all of us and we neglect ourselves along with the things we like the most including self-care.”