Work, Live, Work

We’re all after that perfect ‘work life’ balance.

That spot where you spend just enough time at work to make you very very rich …whilst still also being able to be home for your partner/ and your children /and your dog/cat.

This spot …is mythical.

Sorry….but…. it’s either one or the other.

Anybody that tells you different has either won the lottery or inherited vast sums of money from their parents.

To get from the point of checking your bank balance daily and trying to seek out every ounce of worth from every pound that you have …to a point where you’re so relaxed about funds that you don’t even need to look …takes …A LOT OF HARD WORK.

I look back (yes …I’m that old) …at the number of times that my family holidayed abroad without me whilst I slaved away at my drawing board knocking out designs for business parks and housing estates that all just HAD to be done by deadlines that didn’t allow for family time. I’ve been there and done that and I now realise that it wouldn’t have made a hapeth of difference to my business and might even have made me more productive to have taken the time off.

It’s too late for me …but it’s made me not want this to happen within my team.

This has lead to me being perhaps a little soft.

I will never be rich… because I’m too nice. Instead of raising hell when one of the team needs time off for family …I will in most cases agree and sign off on the required leave. Instead of fighting tooth and nail against home working – I have both allowed and encouraged the team.

Having now lived long enough to have experienced life’s ups and downs I am sympathetic at bereavements and understand mourning and loss. I’m open minded enough to know that peoples home life will impact on their work output and that mental health is a vital part of a good work environment.

I can’t stand bullies, I can’t stand narcissists, I can’t stand racists, equality is at the forefront of any decisions that I make…and I like dogs.

Soooo… we’ve pretty much got rid of all the bad stuff and have a team dachshund as company mascot …

Do I have a good work life balance …not sure.

Maybe the team do?

  

Mike C