About Us

What does it mean, ‘Balance at Work’?

Balance at Work was built on a very basic idea.

Instead of seeking work-life balance, we will all be happier when we accept that work is a significant part of everyday life. Balance comes from finding joy in whatever work we do.

We exist to provide useful insights and practical ways to help people, teams and organisations improve the ways they work.

Get in touch to find out how we work and read on to learn about our team.

Since 2006, our work has evolved in terms of the skills, processes and tools we use. But one thing is constant. We believe the best businesses succeed by balancing productivity and profitability with the needs of their people.

With balance, engaged employees will achieve the organisation’s strategic goals because they want to, not because they feel they have no choice. Working with leaders who understand and commit to this balance is how we do our bit to make the world a better place.

Our Team

Susan Rochester

Managing Director

Susan co-founded Balance at Work in July 2006, with a plan to find and share practical ways to improve our working lives.

Susan's tendency to balance analytical thinking with an optimistic outlook makes it natural for her to set direction and solve problems. This makes her an effective facilitator, strategic advocate and coach who constantly creates new and more effective ways of doing things, because she's motivated by her desire to help others.

Ben Robinson

Executive Coach and Consultant

Ben brought his broad experience across industries, sectors, organisational missions and sizes when he joined the team in early 2020, having worked in HR team and leadership roles for organisations such as MYER, CHOICE, The Salvation Army, Kimberly-Clark, Laureate Education and Landcom.

Ben is a pragmatic and collaborative professional who enjoys working with people to help them reach their potential and progress in their career. As a coach, Ben values the importance of building trust, providing value to the client and providing the appropriate amount of challenge to help them achieve their goals.

Paula Ford

Executive Coach and Consultant

Paula started working at Balance at Work in 2016 - and we could only gain from her valuable skills, experience and insights in business strategy, coaching and organisational development.

After starting her working life in a major bank, a secondment in HR led Paula on to more study when she realised human behaviour is the really interesting part of the world of work. Paula has improved the awareness and development of individuals and teams in diverse roles and industry sectors with her expertise in coaching, workshop facilitation and assessments.

Lottie Rochester

Sanity Saver

Lottie joined our team in March 2020, just before the world changed with the impact of COVID-19. Lottie makes up for her lack of skills and experience with her energy and enthusiasm. Her latest project seems to involve a lot of sleeping under desks, proving her aptitude for finding balance at work.

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What they say about us

"Wow, what can I say…. I found the Harrison reports to provide remarkable insights into your preferred behaviours and how you cope with stress. This is an invaluable tool for any business owner who wishes to maximise the use of their human capital, and I can highly recommend the use of Harrison Assessments reports with Susan's debrief. It simply works! ?"

- Christopher Cachia, CEO and Principal, CCA Financial Planning

"Coaching with Ben gave me a great opportunity to reflect and explore strategies, tips, and tools to improve ways of working and to work through opportunities & challenges. I really valued the focused discussion on specific areas to support my growth and development. I highly recommend working with Ben."

- Manager, National NFP

"In a challenging role in a new organisation, coaching with Paula was the ideal time to reflect, problem-solve, brainstorm options and arm me with next steps in all areas - from staffing, internal politics and relationships to tackling key initiatives. The sessions were by video and face to face, both equally effective. Using video allowed for easy integration of sessions into my busy workdays without any hassle. Paula’s style of coaching quickly built trust so I felt safe being vulnerable, quickly getting to the heart of a number of issues and propelling me and my performance forward significantly!"

- Executive GM, People and Culture

"We used the Harrison Assessment tools followed by a debrief with Susan, for career development with staff, which then allowed us to work with Susan to create a customised 360 degree review process. Susan has a wealth of knowledge and is able to offer suggestions and solutions for our company. She is always ready to get involved and takes the time to show her clients the capability of Harrison Assessments. "

Jessica Hill - Head of People and Culture, Choice

"Balance at Work are the ideal external partners for us as they completely get what we are trying achieve in the People and Culture space. Their flexibility and responsiveness to our needs has seen the entire 360 approach being a complete success. The online tool and the follow up coaching sessions have been game changers for our business. The buzz in the organisation is outstanding. Love it! Thanks again for being such a great support crew on this key project."

Chris Bulmer - National GM Learning and Development, ISS Australia

"The leadership team at Insurance Advisernet engaged Susan from Balance at Work to run our leadership development survey and learning sessions. Susan was very professional in delivering the team and individual strengths and opportunities for growth. Susan's approach was very "non corporate" in style which was refreshing to see. I can't recommend Balance at Work more highly to lead employee and team development sessions."

Shaun Stanfield - Managing Director, Insurance Advisernet