Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Finding The Perfect Balance

This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates how your staff feels with regard to the balance between work and personal life. It explores issues such as priority of family and hours on the job, also covered in this competency. Organizations that enjoy a high satisfaction level in this area will normally exhibit a low rate of absenteeism and experience higher employee retention. Evaluating this competency is helpful in understanding issues relating to a workforce that is commonly tardy or absent from work.

This article, Finding the Perfect Balance, is part of AlphaMeasure's compilation, Tales from the Corporate Frontlines. It illustrates how one employee's evolving life circumstances required him to make some career changes in order to achieve a healthy balance between the demands of work and personal or family life.

Anonymous Submission

When I graduated from college and landed my first job within a month, I was understandably thrilled. This was my dream job, at a company I was familiar with that offered plenty of opportunity for growth and success for an ambitious sales associate.

I was more than ambitious. I worked 12 hour days routinely, hoarded my vacation time and sick days. I operated on a life philosophy that required plenty of hard work initially, with the assumption that when I was ready for marriage, family, home, etc. it would all come automatically. My nuclear family is small and distant, so I could pretty much devote my time to work without conflict.

Then I met a girl, became engaged. Suddenly I realized that my fiancé might not appreciate my twelve-hour days and absent weekends. She'd been accommodating so far, but how long would it last? She was a career person, but worked a strict 9 to 5 with very occasional overtime. One day, she asked if my hectic schedule would continue after we were married. I could tell from her tone of voice that it wouldn't.

The first to go was the weekend work. I lost a few accounts and the commissions attached. No problem. My new wife made a good salary so it didn't matter much. When I let go of 3 evenings per week, eyebrows around the office began to raise. My salary slipped from stellar to ordinary, and my boss was ready to transfer some of my best accounts to employees who were willing to work my former schedule.

My wife suggested I find a new company. I was reluctant at first, but we had the future - buying a home, paying for kids and college, preparing for retirement, to think of. So I searched. Within the year I found a new position with a more family oriented company. The commission structure requires only minimal overtime, and there are options like flex time, childcare savings accounts, retirement programs, and other benefits available. We are planning to start a family next year.

I discovered that the balance of career/personal life is important, and I need to work for the kind of company that supports my lifestyle so that I'm able to maintain that balance. The change was tough, but it was well worth the effort.

-------------------------------------------------------------
© 2005 AlphaMeasure, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
This article may be reprinted, provided it is published in its entirety, includes
the author bio information, and all links remain active.
-------------------------------------------------------------

Measure. Report. Improve your organization with AlphaMeasure employee surveys.

Josh Greenberg is President of AlphaMeasure, Inc.

AlphaMeasure provides organizations of all sizes a powerful web based method for measuring employee satisfaction, determining employee engagement, and increasing employee retention.

Launch your employee engagement survey with AlphaMeasure.

---

Appraisal Systems - Not Living Up to Their Objectives

Almost, if not all organisations have them, they've been around for a very long time and some organisations swear by them, however on the whole the average... Read More

Management Training: Are You Satisfied With The Results?

If you're not satfied with the results of your management training programs, maybe it's because you handle training as a 'one shot' event rather than a process... Read More

Is Your Brain Getting the Memory Full Message? 5 Ways to Free Up Room on Your Brains Hard Drive

Lynn was tapped to head up the project team for a major company restructuring. She began her first team meeting by delegating steps and due dates to... Read More

Are You Measuring Something Meaningful?

Avoiding inert measures that anaesthetise your performance management.INTRODUCTIONYou sit before the monthly report, which might be an inch or so thick, and you contemplate whether it's the... Read More

50 Great Ways to Motivate and Not Break the Bank

Quick, Easy, and Even Fun! 1. Smile, say "Hi! How are you doing today?"2. Regularly invite someone to join you for coffee.3. Send them flowers, chocolate, a... Read More

The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Communication Breakdown

An ongoing series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that can indicate a partnership is in trouble.COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWNThe "Seven Cs" are the danger signs that indicate... Read More

Organizational Structure, Creativity, Innovation

Organizational structure can inhibit or foster creativity and innovation. The problem with organizational structure though, is that it is resultant of many factors, including history, organic growth,... Read More

The New Five Truths of Employee Motivation

Motivation is a term that is so widely used, yet many managers know little about how it really works. But it doesn't have to be confusing-in fact,... Read More

Human Resources: The Misidentified Subject

Interest in the field of human resources has exploded in recent years due to the promises it offers for a better understanding of human beings at work.... Read More

Better Management Performance - The Easy 3-Step Way

Managers make three mistakes when they try to run businesses. They do too much, they don't trust their people and they don't have enough skills. Here we... Read More

Lets Make Training More Interesting!

Many HR managers believe that by sending their workers to participate in external training programs, they have fulfilled their responsibilities. This is not the best situation. In... Read More

The Top 10 Things They Don?t Teach You In Business School

Here are 10 subjects that academia should be teaching their students in business school:1. Generate revenue for your companyWhat academia doesn't teach you is that the real... Read More

The Survey Feedback Process for Organizational Development and Change

THE PURPOSE OF SURVEY FEEDBACK:In globally competitive environments, organizations are seeking information about obstacles to productivity and satisfaction in the workplace. Survey feedback is a tool that... Read More

Quick Tips On Bringing Out The Best In People

Want to bring out the best in people?Edward W. Smith, motivational speaker, author and TV show host, who specializes in quick tips on how to move your... Read More

Success in Business Means Managing Negative Emotions

You may have the MBA but if an internal critic constantly berates you, or you have feelings of self-doubt, low self-confidence, fears of rejection or other negative... Read More

Comparing Ancient Programs from the East to Modern Programs like Stephen Covey.

Comparing Corporate and Personal goal attainment programs that have developed over thousands of years with those of modern day legends such as Covey - "The 7 Habits... Read More

Quick Tip - Effective Meetings Have a Complete Agenda

Most agendas for a meeting look like this.* Budget* Payroll* Staff* Sales* VutszxtnSome people would tell me, "That's a perfectly good agenda. I know what all of... Read More

Training Adults, Not Teaching Children

Adults are vulnerable to personal and professional embarrassment from poor performance in the training program. Poor performance in the classroom may become the basis for personnel decisions... Read More

Micromanagement and Delegation

Micro-Management and Delegation Recently I had a long discussion with a friend of mine about Managers and managing. She... Read More

Difficult Staff - It Pays To Get To Know Them Better

It's very easy for a business owner or manager to fall into the trap of condemning one of their team as a no-hoper or a problem child.It... Read More

Use QA As Your First Step To Outsourcing

Quality Assurance, or QA, is often given short shrift in a software development organization, especially when budgets are tight. When debating the software development budget at one... Read More

3 Steps You Can Use Developing Leaders In Your Industry

With the economy bordering on a recession, every company is looking for ways to increase revenues while decreasing costs. Some companies believe one of the easiest ways... Read More

9 Tips for Getting the Most From Your Conference Investment

Tips for Getting the Most From Your Conference Investment All professionals attend conferences, seminars, and trade shows each year. Through my observation and person experience here are... Read More

Top 10 Things Every Business Should Provide for Every Worker - Including the Boss!

Doing business and meeting the needs of workers is increasingly complex. Employees and managers often prefer a cafeteria-list of fringe benefits (a "flexible spending account") so they... Read More

Knowledge Management: More Than Just Know-how!

People sometimes interchange the terms "know-how" and "knowledge", but there's a world of difference! Systems vendors are falling over themselves to sell you so-called "integrated knowledge management... Read More

Problem-Solving Success Tip: Dont Leave Your Key Stakeholders Guessing

Communicate! Don't leave you key stakeholders guessing.We are generally not very good about keeping others informed about the progress we're making, especially if there isn't much. You're... Read More