The most important resource of any leader is his or her time. The challenge is maintaining timely and consistent prioritization that balances one’s personal and professional commitments. No leader can afford to waste time. But unfortunately, too many leaders feel they are working harder than ever before and are losing any sense of balance in their lives.
The time challenge is to manage one’s time in a way that values both work and personal priorities. Is it possible in these challenging times? Of course it is. It takes focus that consciously invests time by scheduling what is important to you.
The Case for Balance
Queen Elizabeth I, with her dying breath in 1603, said something we can all understand, “All my possessions for a moment of time.” Every day, you get all the time available to invest as you wish. Don’t let bad habits make the choice for you. Lilly Tomlin had a way to bring humor to even painful observations, “The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.” It doesn’t have to be that way.Over the years, we have heard predictions of a heaven on earth where work is all but unnecessary. Nancy Gibbs, in a TIME interview asserted: “In 1967 testimony before a Senate subcommittee indicated that by 1985 people could be working just 22 hours a week or 27 weeks a year or could retire at 38. That would leave only the great challenge of finding a way to enjoy all that leisure.” So much for wishful thinking. We are way past 1985 and for far too many Americans their incomes are not keeping up with inflation. People are on the edge and working harder than ever just to make ends meet every month.
The American civic figure John Wanamaker makes the cost of not taking a balanced, healthy life seriously very clear, “People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.” Sheldon Cohen, a Carnegie-Mellon University researcher, was even more clear on the benefits of life balance: “Someone who works, has a family and goes bowling with a group has an edge on a person whose life is work. With each added relationship you have, the less likely you are to become ill.”
Every job has some days when one area will take precedence. No matter how much planning and prioritizing we do, there will still be crazy days that require overtime work. English author and cartoonist Ashleigh Brilliant said it so well, “I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.” But such times should be rare and not prolonged for you or your team. The same is true with your personal commitments; sometimes family needs require immediate action.
Make Those Dates, Buy Those Tickets
Work majors in scheduling meetings and activities that matter. When a couple is dating, they often do the same. They buy tickets, they make dates, and they don’t let anything get in the way of taking the time. That is the sales phase of any relationship. Once the deal is consummated and couples marry, dates seem unnecessary. But that is one sure way to get your life out of balance. Work doesn’t stop scheduling time for what is necessary. Making dates for the people who you value should be done throughout your life.Start by making time for you and your team to enjoy your “energy boosting” relationships, regular stress breaks, and time to exercise. In fact, get in the habit of buying a few tickets! When you’ve paid a hundred dollars for theater tickets or to attend a sporting event, you find a way to get everything done so that you can go, no matter what work demands appear. Can’t you hear it now, “I can’t stay late today. I’ve got tickets!”
Business is data driven; they measure what is important. Vinod Khosla, a general partner with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, did the same with his time with family. He observed, “Your company measures its priorities. People also need to place metrics around their priorities. I track how many times I get home in time to have dinner with my family; my assistant reports the exact number to me each month. My goal is to be home for dinner at least 25 nights a month. Keeping track of your behavior each month means that you don’t slip up, because you know immediately whether your schedule is matching up with your priorities.” I can hear your family and friends applauding now!
Don’t assume every request to work overtime is needed. The essence of strategy is denial; you have to say “No” to test priorities and focus on what counts most. Unless it’s a true emergency worthy of attention, train others to come early enough to get work done on the job without requiring overtime. Start every morning focused on work priorities. As management guru Peter Drucker would say, “Do first things first, and others not at all.”
Good leaders don’t burn out themselves or their team. Having a balanced life gives you and your team the vitality needed to meet the challenges of our times. After all, keep asking yourself, “What is the best use of your time right now?” Then do it! Visit any cemetery, you will be hard pressed to find on any tombstone, “He finished everything on his to-do-list!” Make a balanced lifestyle something worth fighting for, and it will make your life story one worth sharing!
