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Striking a perfect balance between work and personal life is, for
most people in fact, an uncertain struggle between single-handedly
curbing an always-escalating divorce rate and making it to the top
of your game.
And more so for managers, who quickly discover that life is tough
enough without even beginning to acknowledge a work-life reality of
16-hour days, employee absenteeism, KPIs and the next promotion almost
in the bag.
We live in a society of conflicting responsibilities and commitments,
and for most managers, finding a balance between their work and personal
life has become the principal bugbear. The approach is often an either/or
copout – either you are a good manager, or you are a good father,
partner or friend.
Life, in all its guises, isn’t easy, but the truth of the
matter is that you cannot be a good manager if you do not accept this
very simple universal truth, and that it demands some contingency planning
in aiming for a happier medium.
Problems primarily arise when you become so heavily focused on your
specific business goals that you lose sight of all the other aspects
of your life. And these aspects usually include your family and friends,
your significant other and yourself.
Next to business, these fundamental aspects of life form an integral
part of your wellbeing. While it might be impossible to give each area
an equal amount of attention, each of these areas does need time and
attention to flourish.
The most direct and possibly most effective route to finding a good
equilibrium between work and life’s demands is, ironically, through
the application of a basic business principle to the dilemma. As in
business, the idea is to try, as early on as possible, to plan the
outcomes you want later in life, and manage your life accordingly.
After all, any good manager will be able to look ahead at the desired
outcomes, and then ensure that they are ultimately achieved.
While looking far enough into the future to know exactly what we
would like out of each facet of our lives is perhaps pushing the bar
on realism, by knowing what we’d like in each area, we can start
to work towards that outcome. Or, at least, until the desired outcome
is adjusted.
Invariably, however, a compromise will have to be made along the
way. But, where this is a known concession to achieving a desired result,
it becomes more of a “bargain” and less of a sell out.
And, it must be largely based on what it is that we want in the end.
If managers learn to manage all the nitty-gritty
of life, perhaps in a similar fashion as they do their business, they
will ultimately become a more complete and successful person. |
