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Establishing work life balance and securing a solid business!
Ideally at the beginning of this new year, attention will be given to working on the business as much as in the business. Equally, the importance of family in the mix of time-share.
Profit of the business is the objective; this underpins choice and prosperity but shouldn’t be at the expense of whole of life. Let’s investigate some ways this can be achieve – some thought starters!
So where to start? When to start? Why start??
Everyone has either heard their parents say or have already said, “sorry I can’t come to that, I have to work / work commitments …etc” Well, as we all know, we only get one change at this thing called life and the commitment of family – getting that right. Yes, the business is there to support the family and the tomorrows but if family is neglected under the heading of business and the notable and noble pursuit of money to give security and options then it’s sort of trade one for the other.
It is possible to have both – but first the realisation that YOU want both.
Some people trade family (non-business for those singles) because family doesn’t bring joy! Often there was fun but stuff got mixed up and seemingly overnight, the fun disappears. This can be wrong choice upfront but more likely loss of connection through ‘working in the business’ and attributing time to that and not the spouse and family bringing that growing disconnection – exponential disconnection that can grow into ‘love lost’ and much worse.
If there was love it can be nurtured back into life with a change of priorities. That is a shared change, all parties, as all parties participated in the disconnection even though it might seem that the business driver was the main fault. (driver = family member working the business)
These comments are addressing business / life-balance and there are a raft of communication issues we can address separately some other time.
Things to consider:
- Is the business actually capable of being profitable or is it just buying the driver a job?
See Guy Kawasaki - Is the business structured in such a way that it doesn’t rely solely on the driver?
- Are fixed costs appropriate to the potential profit? The many questions associated!*
- Is there a useful mix of contractors / outsourcing / employed to give flexibility?
- Does the driver need to learn to delegate?
- Is the driver caught in the business because they cannot find a buyer to release them?
- Does the driver have a lack of skills (or confidence) to change their situation?
- Is the driver a perfectionist – a micro-manager?
- Are processes and policies in need of an update?
- Are current employees underperforming and to date you haven’t been able to remedy?
The conversation has been about business and family but the individual, the driver needs to be considered in the discussion. Are they neglecting themselves, their health, their own associations, their individual fun?
* Very often the pressure of conducting the business is at the foundation of the disconnection and that’s because the business actually isn’t worthy anymore – technology changes, wrong product, poor pricing, poor buying, old stock, business grown past initiators skills,
An hour with Rex will help you identify options to take control and apportion your life in balance – that hour will come with a bullet point summary of actions and ways forward. In celebration of the New Year, I am happy to offer a 50% reduction to the standard fee for this first discussion – no obligation from that, just take it where you want!
Rex Buckingham, Principal – colourthinking and LeadershipThinking.Academy. – 0407827173
rex@colourthinking.com.au