Instead of work life “balance” we should focus on a work life “blend”. In fact, some of the most engaged employees never think in terms of balance. They are passionate fighters for a common cause, not clock-watching widget turners.

New research supports this. In the Journal of Management and Organization an article called, “Work–life balance or work–life alignment? A test of the important os work-life balance for employee engagement and intention to stay in organizations“, Louise Parkes and Peter Langford present findings from their survey of 16,000 Australian employees. They write:

“Results showed that of 28 organisational climate factors, work–life balance was least related to employee engagement and intention to stay with an organisation.”

If you want emotional commitment and engagement from your employees, focus on Growth, Recognition and Trust — not work life balance.

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Kevin Kruse is a NY Times bestselling author and keynote speaker. Get more success and tips from his newsletter at kevinkruse.com and check out keynote video clips. His new book, Employee Engagement 2.0, teaches managers how to turn apathetic groups into emotionally committed teams.