Career development

HBR: Finding Balance as a Dual-Career Couple

Dual-career couples face a unique set of challenges and trade-offs. When both you and your partner have busy, demanding careers, how can you reap the benefits of being a dual-career couple and show up as your best self, at work and at home?

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Source: HBR

According to the latest research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly half of marriages in the U.S. are composed of dual-career couples. That number rises to 63% in married couples with children. Kids or no kids, the advantages of a dual-career household — including greater financial stability and a chance for both partners to pursue career fulfillment — are significant.

Yet dual-career couples face a unique set of challenges and trade-offs. In my role as an executive coach, it’s becoming increasingly common for these clients to seek advice concerning not just the workplace but the home as well. When both you and your partner have busy, demanding careers, how can you reap the benefits of being a dual-career couple and show up as your best self, at work and at home?

Negotiating whose career takes prominence at any given time, juggling two work schedules and household and family duties, and maintaining healthy boundaries between home life and work life are often the most difficult areas to navigate. While each household is different, the couples I’ve seen overcome these challenges have developed systems that optimize their time and energy — as a unit. Below are some of the most successful practices my clients have put into practice.

Read the article on Harvard Business Review.