The TRUTH About "Perfect" Work-Life Balance

Former New Zealand Army officer Ellen Ford (PhD) reveals flexible work strategies from “Work School Hours” to lift profits and productivity, business tips on time management and self-improvement.

ABOUT THE EPISODE

Ellen Ford—ex–NZ Army officer, leadership PhD, TEDx speaker, and author of “Work School Hours” - shares a pragmatic blueprint for flexible work that raises productivity, profits, and employee wellbeing. We cover Belonging, Autonomy, Purpose leadership, outputs-over-hours, and steps any employer can apply across New Zealand, Australia, and beyond.

What you’ll learn

◽️ Flexible work that boosts profits andproductivity (not just perks)

◽️ Belonging–Autonomy–Purpose: the leadership modelthat scales

◽️ Outputs-over-hours: measure results, notpresence

◽️ Time management tactics that remove busywork

◽️ Policies and scripts that support parentswithout losing performance

◽️ Lessons from military leadership and NZ Armyimplementation

◽️ How to pilot “Work School Hours” in any team

Episode Sponsor

www.podcastguest.co.nz

Timestamps

00:00 Intro and why this episode matters for leaders andparents

00:37 What changes when work is designed for people—profitsincluded

02:42 Ellen’s mission to improve the working world

03:34 Self-efficacy, impossible missions, and changingsystems

05:35 The Afghanistan evacuation lesson: audacity andteamwork

06:12 Motherhood, business, and the origin of “Work SchoolHours”

07:08 Data from 500+ parents: three broken outcomes to fix

08:31 From PhD to practice: leadership research meets realworkplaces

09:11 Advising the NZ Army: inclusive leadership and policyimplementation

10:25 What needed to change: pregnancy, return-to-work, andphysical standards

12:24 Policy vs. practice: why implementation makes orbreaks change

17:50 From talks to a movement: book, TEDx, and publishing

22:52 Real stories: breastfeeding, field exercises, andcorporate parallels

27:21 Why “we used to do it this way” isn’t a strategy

31:02 The three principles: value life outside work, focuson outputs, enable flexibility

33:51 For SMB owners: use flexibility to win top talent youcan’t out-pay

36:09 Outputs over hours: motivate efficiency without fear

38:31 NZ productivity problem: long hours ≠ high value

40:45 Kill busywork: align tasks to outcomes people are paidfor

42:13 Market response: why companies are booking this worknow

45:01 Belonging–Autonomy–Purpose explained (and why profitsfollow)

49:24 Case study: the dairy farm that transformed teamworkand leave

52:37 Autonomy example: presenteeism vs. real productivity

54:59 Purpose that motivates: linking tasks to businessimpact

59:15 Future of work: flexible, commercial, and leader-led

1:03:22 Free eBook for listeners (code below)

1:05:03 Final takeaway: “There’s more in us than we think”

Follow me:

LinkedIn: linkin.bio/minaamso

Follow Ellen:

https://www.ellenjoanford.com/

Use code MINA100 on Ellen’s website shop page to get Ellen's Book

Follow me:

linkin.bio/minaamso

Listen on:

Apple podcast: https://shorturl.at/UkJ8v

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/YW7bX

Episode Sponsor:

www.podcastguest.co.nz