Overcoming traditional boundaries between private life and work to create flexibility and synergies: the basic idea behind work-life blending is undoubtedly a good one. If only the practical implementation weren’t so challenging—it raises all kinds of questions and presents plenty of challenges. We’ve given the topic some thought.

While we’re checking off our to-dos, the washing machine is running in the background; while our colleague is typing away on Slack, we’re liking her latest Insta post; and while we’re putting our feet up on vacation, we still have our laptop on our lap (keyword: “workation”).

Doesn’t exactly sound like a healthy work-life balance, does it? Maybe not—but that’s not what work-life blending is about. Quite the opposite: while work-life balance is about creating clear boundaries between work and private life, the new trend claims that these very boundaries should become blurred—very much so.

Blend it, Baby! 

Work-life blending means that, in practice, it can be perfectly normal to take care of personal matters during work hours—such as doctor’s appointments, household chores, or family responsibilities. But it also means taking care of work-related obligations during your free time when the situation calls for it.

For this to work, both sides need acceptance and trust. While employers need to take employees’ personal commitments seriously, employees may also need to put in some overtime from time to time.

It all comes down to digitalization 

The digital age and constant connectivity have, quite logically, played a major role in the blending of work and private life. Remote work and the use of communication platforms like Slack and Zoom have been blurring the boundaries between work and leisure for quite some time now. Knowing what our colleague’s living room looks like is a relatively new phenomenon—and so is sending emojis to the accountant.

And sometimes, it doesn’t stop there.

Oops, got a little emotionally entangled.

Friendships in the workplace can foster collaboration and boost overall job satisfaction—sure, we know that from personal experience. At the same time, “friendships at work” come with a level of complexity that can affect the professional work environment—which is also pretty obvious, and something we know from experience too. Bias, conflict avoidance, and emotional involvement are just some of the potential downsides of this otherwise nice idea.

Keep hierarchies and power dynamics in mind.

Organizations also always have hierarchies and power structures—in most cases, even those that pride themselves on being “on equal footing.” After all, someone has to make business decisions.

That’s why it’s essential to establish clarity around professional responsibilities and hierarchies and to reevaluate them regularly. It’s also up to companies to actively foster a culture of open communication that enables employees to raise concerns and issues—including with their managers.

The Art of Work-Life-Blending

Ultimately, finding the right balance between closeness and professionalism is the key to successfully implementing work-life blending—and that requires certain resources.

From our perspective, cultivating an intentional approach to emotions is crucial here. Managers can take on this role, but coaching can also be helpful, because learning to distinguish between personal feelings and professional decisions is a skill.

What we also think is important:

• A clear corporate culture and transparent communication culture based on appreciation, trust, and mutual respect
• Regular feedback sessions, including expectation management
• Time-management tools to enable an efficient division between work and leisure, as well as access to the necessary technological resources (e.g. a company phone)
• Flexible working-time arrangements—despite (or precisely because of) remote work
• Training sessions, workshops, and coaching to promote emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and stress management
• Mentorship programs, where appropriate, to support professional development

Bottom line: Employers are responsible for creating a safe, trusting, empathetic, and flexible work environment so that smart work-life blending can succeed and—let’s just say it like it is—doesn’t end up going terribly wrong at employees’ expense. We believe that thoughtfully integrating the resources mentioned above is key to making this work.

What experiences have you had with work-life blending? Do you find it easy to separate your personal life from your professional life? And can you think of another resource we should add to the list? Tell us in the comments on LinkedIn!